Cover Story: 50 Years Forward

COVER STORY

YEARS FORWARD

By Emily Wolff, Archivist

Early in 1971, Paul Cummins and Rhoda Makoff—then headmaster and assistant headmaster, respectively, at the elementary school St. Augustine by-theSea in Santa Monica—laid out their vision for a new school, essentially re-imagining what a school could be. In the first Crossroads brochure, they wrote: “The Crossroads School seeks to imbue each student with a respect for learning, with an awareness of the valuable traditions of the past, with a sense of social commitment and concern for the future of man, and with a sense of his unique, personal worth.” Fifty years later, Paul and Rhoda’s words (male pronouns aside), still describe Crossroads’ DNA. Their vision has provided a steady foundation for the School over time because it allows for evolution and innovation.

A look back at the history of Crossroads reveals 50 years of moving forward. Thoughtful questioning, open dialogue, risk-taking and social responsibility have led the School to create new solutions, to grow and to flourish. For five decades, Crossroads has pushed boundaries to respond to an ever-changing world and remained at the forefront of progressive education.

Paul and Rhoda’s vision for Crossroads was a direct response to community needs in the late 1960s, a period when many parents felt dissatisfied with traditional, chronically underfunded public schools in Los Angeles. Those parents had begun to look for alternatives that were based on new theories of child development and learning and more in sync with their progressive values. Accordingly, in 1970, with Rhoda’s help, Paul began the project of transforming St. Augustine: Rows of desks gave way to a more open classroom configuration; art, music, dance and drama were added to the curriculum; electives gave students some choice; and new teachers nurtured emotional and social growth. Not all families were pleased with the changes, and some left the school. But those who stayed began to see remarkable differences in their children’s education.

19 Crossroads Brochure, 1971 70s

COVER STORY

1970s

In fact, many wanted their children to continue this new way of learning even after they graduated from St. Augustine. A group of parents asked Paul and Rhoda about an equivalent secondary school, and the two visionary administrators got to thinking. Together, Paul, Rhoda and a small Board of parents saw an opportunity to create a child- centered school from the ground up— one that would foster creativity, individuality and social awareness as well as provide strong academics.

In 1971, Crossroads School offered seventh and eighth grade from a Pico Street church and developed programs that would become integral to the School’s identity. In its first year, students volunteered at a Head Start center and tutored at public elementary schools. They ventured to Yosemite in the School’s new bus. Local artists taught classes from welding to folk dancing. As the School expanded and settled into its 21st Street Campus, outdoor education was incorporated into the curriculum; the arts were an essential part of every student’s education; and community service became a graduation requirement. Crossroads also provided scholarships from the start to foster a socio-economically diverse student body.

Before the concepts of emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning were commonplace, Crossroads introduced a unique curriculum to help students understand and navigate their inner lives as well as develop respect and compassion for others. The Life Skills program, now an indispensable part of the Crossroads experience, began in 1983 with a class called Mysteries. preparing for the future; next week’s test; the SATs so she could get into college; college so she could have a career; and on and on. “When,” she asked, “do we get to enjoy today?”

As Paul recalls, a student walked into his office one day, flopped into a chair and asked, “May I talk?” Without waiting for a response, she continued, “Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow— 1980s is that all you adults ever talk about?” She vented about the emphasis on

That question sparked a realization that students need both the space and the skills to talk about their immediate experiences and feelings. Mysteries was launched as a two-hour class for seniors to discuss what was important to them. They used a practice called Council, in which participants sit in a circle, share one at a time and listen from the heart. The program culminated in a retreat at The Ojai Foundation that offered students a chance to reflect before graduation. As Paul wrote in a letter to families in 1986, “Soon we found ourselves dealing with unanswerable questions, and exploring individual ‘mysteries.’ We found that the very act of dealing with these questions benefited us all.” The success of Mysteries led to the expansion of the program into all grades, from kindergarten through senior year, and its evolution into today’s Life Skills. Recognizing human development as an aspect of education has had a powerful impact on students’ lives and on the culture of the School. Crossroads’ Life Skills classes have since become models for programs in both independent and public schools.

19 90s

Inspired by the civil rights, antiwar and feminist movements, Crossroads’ founders believed that education could be a vehicle for social change. Until the 1990s, the School’s founding commitment to serve the community had been fulfilled primarily through student service. But Paul wanted to make an even greater impact by using institutional resources to respond to the needs of the broader community. So Crossroads sent its then-choral director, Thea Kano, to give weekly classes at Palms Middle School. Like many California schools at the time, Palms’ budget for arts had been slashed. The impact of a single Crossroads teacher on the students was remarkable. The School established the Crossroads Community Foundation with the express intent of developing and implementing programs like the one at Palms Middle School to foster significant change in the city.

CCF then launched P.S. Arts to provide children in underserved Los Angeles public schools with music, visual arts and drama programs. Starting with weekly arts classes at several Title I elementary schools in Venice, P.S. Arts saw both increased enrollment and attendance as well as improved student and faculty experiences. Driven by demand, P.S. Arts grew exponentially, eventually becoming an independent nonprofit in 2003. It currently provides a high-quality arts education to nearly 25,000 students in California’s most underserved public schools.

P.S. Arts also became the model for P.S. Science, which Crossroads launched in 2006 to provide an exploration-based science program and materials to children—along with mentorship for teachers—at local, underserved public schools. Now also its own nonprofit, P.S. Science serves thousands of students across Los Angeles County.

COVER STORY

2000s In the early 2000s, a serious conversation began about whether the Advanced Placement college curricula and exams were right for Crossroads’ students. Every spring, teachers expressed their frustration about having to set aside their own lessons to spend two to three months preparing their students for the exams. Whereas in-depth inquiry and independent thinking characterize Crossroads’ academic program, the AP curricula instead required a rapid accumulation of surface-level information. Not surprisingly, students also voiced their displeasure with AP courses, finding them far less interesting and intellectually challenging than those designed by Crossroads’ teachers.

“A teacher asked, ‘Why are we doing this?’” Head of School Bob Riddle recalled. “I think if we were a more traditional school, the answer to that question would be, ‘Because it’s what we’re supposed to do; it’s what all schools do.’ Instead, we answered that question by saying, ‘That’s the right question to ask!’”

After several years of evaluation and debate, the School made the bold decision to replace AP courses with a new, rigorous program designed by Crossroads teachers: Crossroads Advanced Studies. These upper-level courses in English, history, science, languages and visual and performing arts encourage critical thinking and a dynamic worldview rooted in the School’s philosophy and values. This enriching change in approach demonstrates not only how Crossroads values the voices of students and faculty, but also how the School is able to continually evolve to meet the educational needs of the community.

Over the last decade, Crossroads has achieved many of its long-term goals, from building the state-ofthe-art, LEED Gold-certified Science Education & Research Facility in 2015 to increasing diversity within our student body, faculty and senior administration.

Our students continue to excel in all areas of their educational experience. In 2016, a team of Upper School science students received a $6,500 grant from Lemelson-MIT to develop a water-usage monitor prototype. In 2018, the boys varsity basketball team won the third state championship in the School’s history. Students continue to be recognized in national competitions for their achievement in the visual and performing arts: In 2018, the School’s renowned Elizabeth Mandell Music Institute chamber orchestra was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

The School’s 15-point strategic plan, published in 2019, will guide Crossroads in our efforts to improve, to grow and to guarantee the School’s long-term sustainability. Measures to enhance student wellness, cultivate a consistent culture of learning and enhance our performing arts program through a new Performing Arts Center will enrich the student experience. The development of an innovation center, increased accessibility to Crossroads and the fortification of our Equity & Justice program will expand our presence in Los Angeles and beyond. And we will steward our strategic resources by expanding our environmental sustainability, planning our strategic enrollment management and creating a new financial model for the future. (Read more about the strategic plan on page 12.)

Crossroads entered the 2020s with renewed focus, despite the many challenges brought on by the COVID19 pandemic. Innovation sustained the School in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and innovation will undoubtedly enable the School to thrive as it moves another 50 years forward.

2010s- PRESENT