Let’s decide together
Resource Page
Let’s Decide Together! By Hope Wilder
Let’s Decide Together is an accessible workbook for anyone interested in practicing sociocracy with children ages 5-12. Adults can use it to make more values-aligned, egalitarian, and inclusive decisions together with children in the home, at school, clubs, neighborhood groups, or in any group where adults and children are empowered to decide together.
$20 print/ $8 ebook
Additional Resources
All worksheets, agendas, cheat sheets, and templates in one PDF
Meeting Agendas
Templates
- Change up board template
- Nomination slips template
- Role selection template
- Complex proposal template
Cheat sheets
Free Video Series: Empowered Learning Circles for Children
Do you have a group of children you’re ready to practice with? Watch this free 4-part series that will help you practice:
- Rounds
- Consent decision-making
- Collaborative proposal-forming
- Sociocratic selection process
- Feedback
Circle structures of schools
Larger groups such as schools or neighborhood parliaments may have the opportunity to work in circle structures. In classic sociocracy, these are semi-autonomous groups connected by 2 people in what is called a double-linked hierarchy. You may want to familiarize yourself with this structure before reading on.
There are generally two types of subcircles I have observed in schools:
- Subcircle by groups of people (ex. Staff, students, teachers, school grades or classes.)
- Subcircle by function (ex. Public relations, finance, administration, site and grounds, mediation.)
Some schools have many subcircles in a classic double-linked hierarchy, some have a larger circle which has small circles and individual roles nested inside them. Some are inspired by holacracy or Sociocracy 3.0, and have structures that interconnect in novel ways. See below for a variety of circle structures in schools.
School with classic double-linked hierarchy
This is an example of classic double linked circle structure with delegates (passing information up the chain) and leaders (passing information down the chain.) Not pictured is a Board which has a leader and delegate from the School Circle. Note that a student can be elected up the circles as representative to serve on the Board. This has happened and can be seen in the film School Circles.
An example of meeting frequencies for this school type:
Student age group subcircles meet daily. Student Circle, Support Circle, and Staff Circle meets weekly. Parents Circle and School Circle meet monthly.
School with classic double linked hierarchy
Touching circles indicate a double link (representative and leader.) The school meeting is in charge of the daily running of the school. The school circle involves decisions that parents need to be a part of as well such as school schedule days and times. It is interesting that this school was part of a larger organization including a training center.
School with an all school circle including subgroups
Some school circles operate like a Sudbury Democratic Free School where all students and staff are invited to a (usually weekly) School Circle. The functional circles such as Mediation and PR that are inside the School Circle can have members who are students as well as staff. Circles that breach the main circle may also involve volunteers or people outside the direct school community.
In this example, there are 3 representatives from the school circle to the board, and 1 parent representative, as well as outside experts on the board.
School with an all school circle and separate general circle
This school also has a school circle that includes all staff and all students. In addition, the students have their own circle, there is an all staff circle, and an administrative staff circle. The administrative staff circle connects to the General Circle which includes parents and board member representatives. Note that there is no direct link for students to the board.
School with double-linked hierarchy and an operational board
In this circle structure, the functional operational circles are all subcircles of the board, while the parents, students, and staff meet in a central representative circle.
School with all-school circle and operational subcircles inside
This circle structure has one large circle including all students and staff, with smaller functional subcircles that may include either students or staff as members. In addition there may be individuals with various operational roles and functions within the circle.
Additional Resources
There’s much, much, more on the Sociocracy for All Youth and Education page!
