Commonwealth School

Commonwealth School is a small independent high school of about 145 students in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

History

Charles Merrill, who founded the school in 1957, chose to locate it in Boston's Back Bay because, as he put it "one goal of Commonwealth is to restore good secondary schooling to the city" -- a "stimulating and realistic" setting for education. Besides instilling discipline and independence of mind, he hoped to encourage Commonwealth students to be "decent, socially responsible, generous people," actively engaged in public affairs. Weekly assembly speakers include prominent figures such as Desmond Tutu and Samantha Power. Commonwealth graduates frequently choose careers that enable them to make a difference in the world: they practice medicine abroad and at home; teach in inner-city schools, prep schools, community colleges, and major universities; work as lawyers, neighborhood organizers, computer consultants, and business leaders; and pursue careers in the arts, television and film, and politics.

Thanks largely to traditions Mr. Merrill established, including the all-school Maine weekends, students and teachers create, within the school, their own small society. Teachers hold many administrative posts, and students take responsibility for jobs ranging from cleaning up after lunch to starting a chess club or advocating for a community-service graduation requirement. The School occupies two brownstones on Commonwealth Avenue, in which students can choose to spend time outside class working in the library, in the lobbies or the nooks and crannies of the upper floors, or in the art studios, or talking with teachers and advisors. Office doors are always open, every voice counts in discussion-based classes, and students take pride in the School's energy, humor, and cohesion because so much of it is their own.

Mission

Mission Statement Commonwealth School's mission is to educate young people from diverse backgrounds to become knowledgeable, thoughtful, and creative adults, capable of careful analysis, fruitful cooperation, and deep commitment.

Commonwealth aims to be a school:

• with the highest standards of academic excellence.
• where students learn to think for themselves and to exercise responsibility and initiative in their actions.
• with a community of talented teachers and promising students from diverse backgrounds.
• that takes maximum advantage of its rich urban setting.
• where arts are a vital element of daily life.
• that provides the friendly atmosphere of a small, supportive community.
• that helps students establish the foundation for rewarding and productive lives.

Headmaster

William D. Wharton

The headmaster since 2000, William D. Wharton, joined the faculty in 1985 as a teacher of history, Latin, and Greek, served as admissions director in the 1990s, and continues to teach ethics to every ninth and twelfth grader. He sees the School's collective enterprise this way: “We want our students to develop the intellectual tools that are indispensable if reason, not habit, is to guide their thinking and if spirited engagement, not idle consumption, is to characterize their actions. We encourage them to learn about themselves and the world through the lenses of various disciplines, and to cultivate moral imaginations that will enable them to step out of their first-person perspectives and examine words and actions from others' points of view. We hope they will see that using their talents to serve those around them with thoughtful intelligence will not only improve the lot of others, but bring deep and abiding satisfaction. Students here are challenged—by the books they read, the arts they practice, the responsibilities they take on, and the many faces of Boston they meet—to cultivate strong minds and generous hearts.”

See also

• List of Commonwealth School awards
• List of Commonwealth School publications

External links

• Commonwealth School official website