School Governance Using Sociocracy

Empowering youth in education

What is sociocracy in school governance, and why does it matter?

Imagine a school where every student has a voice in decisions that matter to them.

Democratic schools using sociocracy as school governance to include students and teachers in decisions school-wide exist all over the world.

Schools that include students in decision-making have experienced outcomes such as:

“[Working in] a sociocratic way helps to  instill a school culture of trust and contributes to a calmer and more peaceful felt-sense in everyday school life.”

Ellen Even, staff member at Integrale Tagesschule Winterthur

Colored pencils

“I’m so glad to have found sociocracy- which is democracy, as it could be- to help with the subtle art of compromise.”

Hope Wilder, Pathfinder Community School

puzzle piece

For classrooms

Tools and processes that support more democracy and participation of students in classrooms

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For entire schools

Improve meetings. Boost morale as everyone’s voices are heard using collaborative decision-making.

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For youth activism

Learn more about the thousands of youth activists worldwide using sociocracy for effective organizing.

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For families

Take your family relationships to the next level by using a sociocratic family meeting.

Consent Decision With Children - YouTube - Sociocracy For All

Students problem-solving and decision-making

Consent decision-making, a way of deciding together where everyone is OK with the result, is a core part of sociocracy. This video shows a consent decision at a school using sociocracy in school governance about whether or not to rent a cotton candy (candyfloss) machine for a celebration. Watch how the students resolve objections and come up with a solution everyone can live with. From the film School Circles.

Download our free booklet
“Sociocracy with Kids”

What are the first, easiest steps to improve making decisions with children? This booklet will introduce you to:

  • What to decide about
  • Rounds
  • Consent decision-making with kids
  • Tips for easy and fun meetings with kids

Sign up to our mailing list and download this free booklet!

In addition, another booklet for adults called Sociocracy – a brief introduction is available as a free download for those who are signed up for our mailing list.

Sociocracy with Kids Booklet Cover
Sociocracy with Kids Booklet – A brief Introduction by Hope Wilder
Cover mockup Let's decide together - Hope Wilder

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 paperback, $8 ebook

See our Resource Page for free downloadable agendas, cheat sheets, circle diagrams, and video resources for the book.

How does sociocracy in schools work?

Sociocratic school governance has many facets. View recordings from the Sociocracy in Schools conference from January 15, 2022 for free here.

Topics include:

  • Nonviolent communication and sociocracy
  • Case studies of sociocracy in schools
  • Power and trauma in schools using sociocracy
  • Sociocracy in under-resourced communities
  • Sociocracy with youth organizations
Sociocracy with Kids Booklet Cover

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

List and map of schools using sociocracy

What schools are using sociocracy?

There are over 40 schools worldwide using sociocracy for school governance in the list below. There are likely many more classrooms and teachers using sociocracy than we know about.

Note: this list is FAR from complete! Email [email protected] to help us make it more complete. see map below from Wondering School for more information.

Click here to see the full list

Australia

Austria

Chile

France

Germany

Netherlands

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

United Kingdom

United States

The Sociocracy in Schools Map shows many schools that practice sociocracy around the world. This resource is part of a research project by Wondering School with collaboration of many organizations and individuals who care about sociocracy. If you would like to collaborate with the map, please get in touch via email: [email protected].

reflective practice - sociocracy in schools,schools governance,governance using sociocracy - Sociocracy For All

 “Lectica has tested many other private schools – very good ones – and also public schools of high socio-economic level, but we have never seen scores like Rainbow. […] Rainbow students have remarkable ‘perspectival’ abilities to take the perspective of others, a core aspect of transformative learning.” Source article

Dr. Theo Dawson

How do sociocratically governed schools organize in circle structures?

Click through the images to see how others do it.
unico schule circle structureenglish - sociocracy in schools,schools governance,governance using sociocracy - Sociocracy For All

Organizational chart - Pathfinders

Morey Flextech school circles

Holma Folk circle structure

The New School Circle Structure March 2021

Integrale Tagesschule Winterthur Circle Structure - Sociocracy For All

School circle structure in sociocracy - Sociocracy For All

All education-related resources in Sociocracy For All

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