Lehman Alternative Community School

The world 'alternative' is defined as "employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas, methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment." Certainly, the experience I encountered at the Lehman Alternative Community School followed this notion.

By first glance, the exterior of the school is different than most. There is no large drop off area for buses or parents' cars. The front is a bit grungier than, say, Cortland JSHS. When I walked into the school, I first encountered students outside playing hacky-sack. I thought that school must be out since the students were not inside the building.

Inside, the school is also massively different. Students are roaming everywhere, I cannot tell who is a big kid or a teacher, and then I am greeted by a teenage girl introducing herself and asking, "Are you the Cortland students?" Why, yes I am!

We were taken into the All School Meeting. Never before had I seen such an event. Students and teachers sat together on chairs inside the smallest gymnasium I had ever seen. A student stood in the center with an overhead projector, trying his best to lead the meeting. The students and faculty were discussing issues within the school through democratic means: An issue was brought up, read on the overhead, discussion ensued, and voting occurred.

I found that the event was quite disorganized, yet it seemed as if no one was bothered by it, as if it happens all the time. Some students had their iPODS playing in their ears, teachers eating lunch on the chairs, students chatting with each other, and some paying attention.

Then we were given a tour of the school. Since it was previously used as an elementary school, the building was quite small. Luckily, the school had gotten money and was going to be adding a library, new gymnasium, and other additions onto the building.

The weirdest part was the "graffiti room." A room at the bottom end of the building was sectioned off as an area where students can paint anything (within reason and with rules applied) on the walls. The hope is that by doing this, students will not graffiti the bathrooms, lockers, desks, etc.

I am not so sure I like this idea, however. I think the graffiti room does not get to the source of the problem, which is discipline. Students are not taught to control themselves; they are just given a different place to write on.

Overall, the school was very much something different for me to experience. I would probably not have been a good candidate at the school. I enjoyed structure, more formal interaction, and I was motivated by intrinsic things, but also by grades. So, this situation would not have been for me.

It was definitely a wild trip, though, and I am very thankful I went.