History of King Open

In 1975, about 20 Cambridge parents met to figure out how to have their kids attend an open-classroom style school, where both parents and staff took an active part in the education process. Their children had been denied places at the Cambridge Alternative Public School (CAPS, now Graham & Parks) because there weren’t enough places to meet demand. The parents called themselves The Committee to Extend Alternative Education, arguing that once the City of Cambridge undertook to provide alternative education by establishing CAPS in 1972, it had a responsibility to provide that education for all who desired it.

They enlisted the help of School Committee member Alice Wolf, and with her guidance, met with School Committee members and School Department staff, and visited possible sites for the new school. Their efforts coincided with the arrival of a new school superintendent, Bill Lannon, who also gave his support. On August 5, 1975, the Cambridge School Committee accepted a proposal for two kindergarten/first grade classrooms for the 1975/76 school year. By the end of that summer, it was decided that space would be made available at the King School. The parents named their school The Open School at the King School and hoped for the best. The Open School was part of the fairly new federal “Magnet Schools” experiment, which brought kids from all over the city to one school to end racial imbalance. Our parents were strongly committed to integrated education by race and economic class.

The Open School’s first years were rough but filled with heady idealism and endless meetings. We couldn’t have done it without our amazing staff, who were committed to parent involvement and individualized education. Each year was a struggle for space to expand, for the right to hire teachers interested in open education, and for funding for teaching assistants. Many of us found ourselves at endless School Committee meetings. Our architect parents drew up studies of the King School to find unused space for more classrooms. Lawyer parents studied the budget and busing rules. Activist parents spent hours on curriculum and hiring committees. Even with these efforts, in 1978 and 1979, our fourth and fifth graders were bused to the Tobin School, while the rest of the Open School remained at King. Then, finally, we were reunited, given an Administrator of our own, Sandra Darling, and a feeling that we were finally permanent.

During the rough times and the smooth times, the Open School forged ahead, bringing a new kind of education to Cambridge. Parents, teachers, and assistant teachers made policy together and worked side by side on budget, space, testing, record keeping, mainstreaming, admissions, curriculum, teacher evaluation, and racial balance committees. Innovative programs, such as the Algebra Project, groundbreaking efforts at mainstreaming disabled children, and Science Club for Girls, started at the Open School. At the end of the Open School’s first year, parents and staff adopted the following principles:

• We believe in racially and economically integrated public education. We believe that public education should offer parents a choice in programs and educational styles. Half of our students live in the King School district, and although we think of ourselves as a program with its own existence within the larger school, our ties to the King School and the surrounding community are strong.
• As the “openness” or quality of a classroom is largely determined by the teachers, we think that it is important to hire people who encourage and respect differences in personality and learning styles among children. We feel that this is a good way to maintain high academic standards for all our children.

King Open Present Day
These foundational principles, born of parent activism and a shared vision for equity, paved the way for the King Open as it stands today. In the present day, King Open stands as one of the most economically, linguistically, racially, and neurodiverse schools in the district. We serve a wide range of student learners, deeply honoring their unique identities, backgrounds, and varying family cultures. We believe our work is most complete when we view caregivers as essential partners; we rely on healthy, transparent relationships with families to ensure every child thrives.

We are committed to engaging our students with rigorous curriculum content and high-quality resources. Our staff is dedicated to data-driven instructional decision-making, utilizing ongoing progress monitoring and assessments to provide targeted student support. This academic rigor is balanced by a commitment to staff collaboration and consistent professional development, ensuring that our teaching methods evolve to meet the needs of all students.

We champion the whole child, valuing their creative development just as much as their academic success. In addition to our core curriculum, we provide students with robust access to the performing arts and a variety of creative avenues that allow their individuality to flourish. This holistic approach is bolstered by our work in concert with our integrated partner, King Open Extended Day, which allows for a seamless, supportive experience throughout the school day.

While the definition of Social Justice and Equality continues to evolve, our commitment remains constant. We are devoted to growing our understanding of these values to create a better world, constantly reflecting on our practices to ensure they are inclusive and equitable for every member of our community.