Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Free School really FREE?

Yes! Promise!

 

Is there anything I can read about the history of the Free School?

Sure!

"Working Class: Red Emma's works to realize its latest project--a free school," Bret McCabe, City Paper, May 27th, 2009.

"Baltimore Free School," Baltimore DIY, June 5, 2009.

"Free Education in Baltimore," Lauren Lins, Towson Tiger, December 15th, 2011

"School Spirit: The Bellevederes and Ben Frock Love Unit Rock the Free School," Baynard Woods, Urbanite, May 1st, 2012

 

Is the Free School part of Red Emma's?

No. Collective members from Red Emma's along with a group of local educators started the Baltimore Free School, but it has subsequently spun off as a separate project with a distinct collective, and with 501c3 status under the Fusion Partnerships umbrella.  Red Emma's and the Free School continue to work closely together as part of a growing rhizomatic network of radical projects.

 

How can I get involved with organizing for the Baltimore Free School?

We have bi-weekly organizing meetings at which we discuss all things free school; fixing things broken, making things better, paying bills, planning fundraisers, etc.  If you're interested in getting into the nitty gritty of scheduling, orienting new instructors, helping with course development, outreach, fundraising, facilities maintenance and more, check out the calendar for our next upcoming Free School Collective Meeting or contact us!

 

Does the Baltimore Free School offer space for private meetings?

Yes! Our new 512 meeting/work/resource space is in the works and planning to launch in September! In the meantime, we'll be offering space for private meetings for groups and organizations working for social justice causes while we're hammering out the details of the new center. At a rate of only $10 for a two hour meeting, we hope to support groups who are doing incredibly valuable work around our city. The 512 space will also provide drop-in work/study hours, because we know we're tired of working alone in our apartments every night! Aren't you?

 

What if I want to teach something, but I'm not really an "expert"?

No problem! We at the Free School believe everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn. If you have something you would like to share with others, that's teaching! Or maybe you would like to learn alongside others on a particular topic and wish to organize the course in the style of a study group. There is no one way to teach a course and no one way to be a teacher! 

 

What software is this website running?  Can I use it for another Free School Project?

Sure!  It's called "freeskool", it's free software under the GPLv3, and you can grab it or fork it on Github.