You know that Brentwood High School is composed of the Ross and Sonderling Centers.But I'll bet you didn't know that there was once another part of it.It's a part that was both famous and infamous.It was called the Maslow Toffler School of Futuristic Education.
The school operated from 1974 to 1983.It was named after psychologist Abraham Maslow(a humanist who believed that people possess the inner resources to meet their needs,grow,and heal)and Alvin Toffler(the thinker and author of the "Future Shock" series)."M-T",as it came to be known,was founded by teacher John M.Sherin and Milton Siler,then the newly appointed Superintendent of Schools.Silver saw the many problems Brentwood's schools were facing in the early 1970s,and was determined to do something about them.Among other things,he and Sherin came up with the idea of an alternative high school.They were fully supported by the Board of Education,and thus the Maslow Toffler School of Futuristic Education was born,housed in one wing of the former South Elementary School.
The school certainly was different.It was open to any junior or senior,with parental permission.Students were required to take eight standard courses,but they could then choose whatever other classes they wished.They also had time for independent study and work experience,for which they would then receive credit in addtion to that obtained from two college level courses(the only two for which they received actual grades).Class size was kept to about 22 students,which allowed for more personal attention.Supporters claimed that all of this helped to prepare students for the real world.
But there was,inevitably,a backlash.Maslow Toffler had many supporters in the community,but there were also many others opposed to it.Students at the regular High School felt that M-T'ers were given too many special priveleges and unfair advantages.Their parents and teachers called the school a fantasy world that catered to the students' every whim.They also claimed it received too much of the District's money and resources.The school never really succeeded,and it closed in 1983.More information about the Maslow-Toffler School can be found at its alumni website,www.maslowtoffler.com.