At LREI, we pride ourselves on being a progressive pre-K through twelfth grade school. But what do we mean by progressive education? And why is it so important?

• Active and interdisciplinary –   LREI’s students are active participants in each class, each day — making connections between disciplines, using the arts to find creative solutions and struggling together towards new truths. Our students take their learning out into the community in order to understand the world as it is, not as it’s written about.
• Inquiry-based  Learning –  We focus on finding collaborative solutions to real-world problems. We believe that there is much to learn on the journey to the solution.
• Focused on the whole child –  We care about what kids know, who they are and who they will become.
• Committed to social justice –  Our diverse community values equity in race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic means and family structure.

Simply put, progressive education works with a child’s natural inquisitiveness and desire to do, to experiment and to be involved. Progressive education asks students to truly understand a topic, concept or skill and to demonstrate and to defend their understanding. It asks them to think beyond the page, beyond the “right answer.”

There has never been a more critical time for critical thinkers. When answers can be Googled in the tap of a finger or click of a mouse, asking the right questions is what counts. Living by core values is what counts. Our progressive program equips students with the confidence to discern fact from slant, and to contribute to society in a meaningful way.