Looks at the free school movement within and outside the realm of public education. Presents an historical perspective on the radical private free school movement evidence suggesting that the development of educational options within the public school system has come from within the system. (DN)

Although most sixties-style, free-form high schools have faded or been eclipsed by "back to basics," alternative schools like H-B Woodlawn, in Arlington, Virginia, continue to flourish inside education's mainstream. The school thrives on informality, a lottery selection system, democratic governance, and high test scores. (MLH)

The school described here operates on the principle that play for the sake of play, without unsolicited adult intervention, entails the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Sudbury Valley School promotes cultural acquisition in a manner harmonious with the child's biological self-education system, without age segregation, grading, or academic…