The Maybeck High School

IT'S ALL ABOUT INCLUSION

Maybeck, established in 1972, is a vibrant community dedicated to learning, where all forms of diversity can flourish amid mutual support, respect, and responsibility. It was founded by a group of educators 40 years ago who set out to create a school where scholarship, independence, and curiosity were shared by faculty and students alike. The school was shaped as a community of teachers who wanted to share in the work of defining the school structure as well as the work of leading classrooms. Today we value that same inclusion. Maybeck is a teacher-run school where the staff asks of themselves the same things we ask of our students; to question, to listen, to lead, and to strive for excellence. Through our small classes, high expectations, academic excellence, and programs outside the school, students prepare for college and acquire the tools to engage actively and creatively in the wider world.

Our small classes of 10-18 students foster close relationships between students and the faculty; student-teacher dialogue frequently extends outside of the classroom. We currently have a 4:1 teacher-student ratio. Students forge life-long friendships with each other as well as with faculty members. The seminar-style classes encourage students to be fully present in the classroom. Our faculty believes in discovering and not telling, labs not power-points, experiences not worksheets. All students have a contact teacher whom they can consult about any issue, and our counselor works closely with students up to and throughout the college application process.

We begin and end each year with a whole-school camping trip that encourages students to work as a community and spend time together by rivers, on hikes and under the stars. Students listen to lectures given by faculty and take classes on benches under trees on a variety of subjects. We experience learning out-of-doors to complement and enrich our studies at Maybeck. We reserve two weeks each spring for Special Programs, during which students intensely pursue a specialized activity. Local programs have included bicycling, mural and oil painting, botany, pottery, desert wild flowers, and photography. Travel programs have taken students to China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Egypt, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Vietnam. We hold sports days and film festivals, sponsor student plays, host an annual Film and Arts Night, and take trips to local theatrical productions.

At Maybeck, we hold high expectations and we expect our students to be responsible and personally invested in their education.

Classes meet four times per week, each for three 50-minute sessions and one 100-minute session. A full load for most students at Maybeck is five academic courses per semester, though some may take six classes with the permission of the academic counselor. Freshmen are required to take an additional seminar focusing on development of academic and study skills.

Our approach to discipline is non-punitive. We do not have detentions and rarely suspend students. Students who do not meet our behavioral expectations meet with the Rules Committee to discuss the situation. Our goal is to engage students in a conversation about the school's expectations and their commitment to the standards and goals of the school. A student who cannot demonstrate a commitment to the community may be dismissed.

Our respect for the role of students in the school community is reflected in the composition of the Rules Committee: it is made up of two teachers, who serve on a rotating basis, and two students, who are elected by their peers for the academic year. The students and teachers have equal votes in the decisions of the Rules Committee.

As a teacher-run school, Maybeck places great emphasis on the autonomy of its teachers within the classroom. We believe that when teachers are encouraged to shape their lessons freely, they invest themselves fully in their teaching and engage their students most effectively. Our teachers hold credentials, masters, and PhDs in their respective fields. We also encourage our staff to pursue outside interests and continue to develop professionally throughout the school year and summer.

Maybeck welcomes students of all backgrounds and provides a safe environment where they can explore their self-expression and be themselves. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form. Approximately 43% of our students identity as people of color. We also have a supportive LGBTQ community.

At Maybeck, we hold high expectations and we expect our students to be responsible and personally invested in their education. Maybeck graduates are well-rounded young people and accepted by a wide range of universities, colleges, and professional schools. Our advanced academic electives resemble college seminars, and graduates regularly tell us how well Maybeck prepared them for college.