Little Red School House
Encyclopedia
The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, also referred to as LREI, was founded by Elisabeth Irwin
in 1921 in Manhattan
, New York City
as the Little Red School House, and is regarded as the city's first progressive school. Created as a joint public-private educational experiment, the school tested principles of progressive education that had been advocated since the turn of the 20th century by John Dewey
. The founders postulated that the lessons of progressive education could be applied successfully in the crowded, ethnically diverse public schools of the nation's largest city.
In 1932, after the onset of the Great Depression
caused the Public Education Association to withdraw the funding that had allowed the school to exist within the New York City public school system, William O'Shea, the superintendent of schools – who had previously tried to close down the program because of its progressive ideas – announced that the school would be eliminated because of a budgetary crisis. Parents raised sufficient funds to pay for salaries, but O'Shea refused to accept the money, and the school was forced to turn to private funding. It moved to a building on Bleecker Street
provided at no cost by the First Presbyterian Church
and began a new life as an independent school.
The Little Red School House consists of a lower school, a middle school, and a high school. In the 1940s the Little Red School House's high-school students decided they wanted their school to be named after its founder, Elisabeth Irwin, making the full title of the institution The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School.
"LREI enrolls students who are bright, curious, motivated and show strong academic and personal promise. The successful student embraces our progressive curriculum and thrives on the connections made between experiential learning and the world. LREI prepares children to be independent thinkers and productive citizens. Our students gain a strong sense of self and citizenship, and our graduates continue on to become leaders in society."
"Since the founding of Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in 1921, a guiding principle of the school has been profound respect for the worth and dignity of each individual, along with sensitivity to the individual and group differences which make our school so diverse a community. From the beginning of the school's existence we have worked to reflect this dual focus on each individual and on our diversity as a community in our student body, our faculty and our curriculum."
We believe that learning should be active and experiential, with the school providing abundant opportunities for students to excel. We accept students with a range of abilities and talents who can take full advantage of a rich and demanding academic program in which each student is both challenged and supported.
We seek to create within the school a community built on understanding and respecting others. Thus, our student body traditionally reflects the racial and cultural diversity of our city, and our curriculum is built on inter-disciplinary studies to promote understanding of many cultures. While individual achievement is encouraged and rewarded, our program underscores the value of shared goals, friendship and cooperation in mastering difficult tasks.
The progressive ideals that in 1921 gave life and inspiration to the school — academic excellence and creativity, active learning and innovative teaching, respect for the individual and responsibility to the community-continue to guide the school today."
The middle-and-lower-school building is located at 272 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) at Bleecker Street
, while Elisabeth Irwin High School is at 40 Charlton Street between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street
. In June 2008, LREI announced the acquisition of additional space with the purchase of 42 Charlton Street, directly next door. The new townhouse was to be renovated and connected to the existing building. A separate building, the Thompson Street Gym, houses facilities for physical education and athletics.
Current staff
, whose alumni include the writers Peter Manso, Ann Lauterbach, Peter Knobler and Richard Kostelanetz
. Its director from 1951 to 1970 was educator and folklorist Norman Studer.
Affiliated organizations
Elisabeth Irwin
Elisabeth Antoinette Irwin was the founder of the Little Red School House. She was an educator, psychologist, reformer, and declared lesbian, living with her life partner Katharine Anthony and the two children they adopted.-Biography:Irwin was born in Brooklyn to William Henry Irwin and Josephina...
in 1921 in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as the Little Red School House, and is regarded as the city's first progressive school. Created as a joint public-private educational experiment, the school tested principles of progressive education that had been advocated since the turn of the 20th century by John Dewey
John Dewey
John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology...
. The founders postulated that the lessons of progressive education could be applied successfully in the crowded, ethnically diverse public schools of the nation's largest city.
In 1932, after the onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
caused the Public Education Association to withdraw the funding that had allowed the school to exist within the New York City public school system, William O'Shea, the superintendent of schools – who had previously tried to close down the program because of its progressive ideas – announced that the school would be eliminated because of a budgetary crisis. Parents raised sufficient funds to pay for salaries, but O'Shea refused to accept the money, and the school was forced to turn to private funding. It moved to a building on Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street is a street in New York City's Manhattan borough. It is perhaps most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district. The street is a spine that connects a neighborhood today popular for music venues and comedy, but which was once a major center for American bohemia.Bleecker...
provided at no cost by the First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)
The First Presbyterian Church, known as "Old First", located at 48 Fifth Avenue between West 11th and 12th Streets in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City was built in 1844-6, and designed by Joseph C. Wells in the Gothic Revival style. The south transept of the building...
and began a new life as an independent school.
The Little Red School House consists of a lower school, a middle school, and a high school. In the 1940s the Little Red School House's high-school students decided they wanted their school to be named after its founder, Elisabeth Irwin, making the full title of the institution The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School.
Philosophy
LREI believes in progressive education. Much of the students' learning is done through experimentation, projects and field trips, as opposed to the more traditional direct instruction."LREI enrolls students who are bright, curious, motivated and show strong academic and personal promise. The successful student embraces our progressive curriculum and thrives on the connections made between experiential learning and the world. LREI prepares children to be independent thinkers and productive citizens. Our students gain a strong sense of self and citizenship, and our graduates continue on to become leaders in society."
"Since the founding of Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in 1921, a guiding principle of the school has been profound respect for the worth and dignity of each individual, along with sensitivity to the individual and group differences which make our school so diverse a community. From the beginning of the school's existence we have worked to reflect this dual focus on each individual and on our diversity as a community in our student body, our faculty and our curriculum."
Mission statement
"Our goal is to educate students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners and to pursue academic excellence and individual achievement, in a context of respect for others and service to the community.We believe that learning should be active and experiential, with the school providing abundant opportunities for students to excel. We accept students with a range of abilities and talents who can take full advantage of a rich and demanding academic program in which each student is both challenged and supported.
We seek to create within the school a community built on understanding and respecting others. Thus, our student body traditionally reflects the racial and cultural diversity of our city, and our curriculum is built on inter-disciplinary studies to promote understanding of many cultures. While individual achievement is encouraged and rewarded, our program underscores the value of shared goals, friendship and cooperation in mastering difficult tasks.
The progressive ideals that in 1921 gave life and inspiration to the school — academic excellence and creativity, active learning and innovative teaching, respect for the individual and responsibility to the community-continue to guide the school today."
College placement
The five most frequently attended colleges and universities for Elisabeth Irwin graduates from 2000 through 2009 were:- 1.New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(7) - 2.Hampshire CollegeHampshire CollegeHampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
(5) - 3.Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(4) - 4.Bard CollegeBard CollegeBard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
(4) - 5.Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
(4)
Buildings
The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School occupy two separate buildings, with a third space housing athletic facilities.The middle-and-lower-school building is located at 272 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) at Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street is a street in New York City's Manhattan borough. It is perhaps most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district. The street is a spine that connects a neighborhood today popular for music venues and comedy, but which was once a major center for American bohemia.Bleecker...
, while Elisabeth Irwin High School is at 40 Charlton Street between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street
Varick Street
Varick Street runs north-south in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Varick Street originates in TriBeCa, at the intersection of Leonard Street and West Broadway. It runs through the western portions of TriBeCa, Hudson Square and the West Village, where it merges with Seventh Avenue South...
. In June 2008, LREI announced the acquisition of additional space with the purchase of 42 Charlton Street, directly next door. The new townhouse was to be renovated and connected to the existing building. A separate building, the Thompson Street Gym, houses facilities for physical education and athletics.
Sports
LREI's sports teams include soccer (boys and girls), volleyball (HS girls, MS co-ed), cross-country track (co-ed), basketball (junior varsity and varsity, boys and girls), spring track (co-ed), tennis (co-ed), softball (girls), baseball (boys), golf (co-ed). The school and team colors are red and white.Clubs, committees and Common Interest Organizations
- Fiber Arts Club
- The Environmental Club
- Lesbian, Gay, Straight Alliance
- Community Service Round Table
- Students of Color Committee
- Robotics Team
- Students for a Free Tibet
- The Charlton Label (newspaper)
- IE (literary magazine)
- The Chess Club
- The Yearbook
- EI Singers (chorus)
- The Philosophy Club
- C.A.F.E. (Cultural Awareness For Everyone)
- Rube Goldberg Team
- The LREI Times (MS newspaper)
Directors and leaders
- Elisabeth IrwinElisabeth IrwinElisabeth Antoinette Irwin was the founder of the Little Red School House. She was an educator, psychologist, reformer, and declared lesbian, living with her life partner Katharine Anthony and the two children they adopted.-Biography:Irwin was born in Brooklyn to William Henry Irwin and Josephina...
(1921 - 1942) - Randolph B. Smith (1943 - 1968)
- Andrew McLaren (1988 - 2004)
- Phillip Kassen (2004 - present)
Current staff
- Director: Phillip Kassen
- High School Principal: Ruth Jurgensen
- Middle School Principal: Mark I. Silberberg
- Lower School Principal: Namita Tolia
Notable alumni
- Peter BergPeter BergPeter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
, actor, film director, producer, writer - Kathy BoudinKathy BoudinKathy Boudin is a former American radical who was convicted in 1984 of felony murder for her participation in an armed robbery that resulted in the killing of three people. She later became a public health expert while in prison...
, radical, public health expert - Angela DavisAngela DavisAngela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
, political activist - Robert DeNiro, actor
- Eric R. DinalloEric R. DinalloEric R. Dinallo is currently a partner at the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Formerly Superintendent of Insurance for New York State, he was nominated by Governor Eliot Spitzer and confirmed by the New York State Senate on April 18, 2007 as the 39th Superintendent of the New York State...
, Superintendent of Insurance for New York State - Peter KnoblerPeter KnoblerPeter Knobler is an American writer living in New York City. He has collaborated on several national best sellers and was the editor-in-chief of Crawdaddy magazine from 1972 to 1979.- Writing :...
, author - Michael MeeropolMichael MeeropolMichael Meeropol is a retired professor of economics. He is the older son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Born in New York City, as Michael Rosenberg, Meeropol spent his early childhood living in New York and attending local school there. His father Julius, an electrical engineer, was a member of...
, professor of economics, older son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg - Robert MeeropolRobert MeeropolRobert Meeropol is the younger son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Meeropol was born in New York City. His father Julius was an electrical engineer and a member of the Communist Party. His mother Ethel , a union organizer, was also active in the Communist Party...
, younger son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
- Victor NavaskyVictor NavaskyVictor Saul Navasky is a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was editor of The Nation from 1978 until 1995, and its publisher and editorial director 1995 to 2005. In November 2005 he became the publisher emeritus...
, professor, Columbia University Graduate School of JournalismColumbia University Graduate School of JournalismThe Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
; editor, publisher emeritus, The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation... - Zac PosenZac Posen- Early life :Posen was raised in the SoHo neighborhood of lower Manhattan, the son of artist Stephen Posen and corporate lawyer Susan Posen. His interest in fashion design started early, and as a child he would steal yarmulkes from his grandparents' synagogue to make ball dresses for dolls...
, fashion designer - Ronald RadoshRonald RadoshRonald Radosh is an American writer, professor, historian, former Marxist, and neoconservative. He is known for his work on the Cold War espionage case of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and his advocacy of the state of Israel....
- Dan ShorDan ShorDaniel Shor is an American veteran actor, director, writer and teacher with a career spanning over 30 years.- Early life :Shor was born and raised in New York City. Attended McBurney school from 6th thru 8th grade...
, actor - Mary TraversMary Travers (singer)Mary Allin Travers was an American singer-songwriter and member of the folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary, along with Peter Yarrow and Noel Stookey...
, singer, member of folk group Peter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers... - Edward Irving WortisEdward Irving WortisEdward Irving Wortis , better known by the pen name Avi, is an American author of young adult and children's literature. He is a winner of both the Newbery Honor and Newbery Medal.- Biography :...
, author
Affiliations
The Little Red School House's companion school from 1944 to 1971 was the Downtown Community School (DCS) on the Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
, whose alumni include the writers Peter Manso, Ann Lauterbach, Peter Knobler and Richard Kostelanetz
Richard Kostelanetz
Richard Kostelanetz is an American artist, author and critic.He was born to Boris Kostelanetz and Ethel Cory and is the nephew of the composer Andre Kostelanetz....
. Its director from 1951 to 1970 was educator and folklorist Norman Studer.
Affiliated organizations
- National Association of Independent SchoolsNational Association of Independent SchoolsThe National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
- New York State Association of Independent SchoolsNew York State Association of Independent SchoolsThe New York State Association of Independent Schools , founded in 1947, is an association of some 180 independent schools, ranging from nursery to high schools. In 2005, its member schools had approximately 65,000 students...
- New York InterschoolNew York InterschoolThe New York Interschool Association, Inc., is a consortium of eight independent schools in Manhattan that serves students, teachers, and administration.-Overview:...