Mission

In an authentically diverse community reflective of Los Angeles, New Roads prepares young people for life by developing in them a personal dedication to learning, a respect for independent thinking, an expanding curiosity about the world and its people, and a commitment to the common good.

PHILOSOPHY

We believe that education must not only be about the mastery of foundational facts, knowledge, and skills, but a joint venture among students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders in the educational village of greater Los Angeles.  We must also cultivate habits of mind, habits of character, an ever expanding awareness of the human situation, and the tools needed for intellectual, social, political, and moral participation as well as personal fulfillment. To be truly supportive of young people, our village — teachers, parents, and other adults — must themselves continue to learn so that they may perceive the young accurately and treat them wisely.

To prepare our young people to navigate, contribute to, and improve the quality of life and opportunities for themselves and others as well as to journey on the road untravelled, we uphold certain commitments and expectations for them.

We are committed to:

  • the creation of a generative learning community where learning is meaningful, relevant, connected, and contextual
  • the liberation of each student’s curiosity and the development of each student’s full human potential
  • academic excellence, driven by authentic diversity
  • excellence in the arts and in athletics
  • the development of a student population diverse in every way: social, economic, neurological, ethnic, racial, cultural, nationality, ideological, ableness, religious, sexual orientation, gender expression, and family makeup
  • behaving responsibly and honorably as individuals and as an institution, and serving the larger ecological and social community

We consider certain skills to be essential for all graduates:
  • to read well and write clearly
  • to express oneself effectively
  • to build a foundation for wellbeing
  • to reason and to question thoughtfully, soundly, critically, and ethically
  • to approach and solve problems creatively as an individual and as a member of a team
  • to evaluate and synthesize information in order to advance understanding and innovate responsibly
  • to study with purpose and perseverance
  • to demonstrate the flexibility and nimbleness of mind to respond to the demands of a rapidly evolving world
  • to develop a portable set of skills that can be translated and applied across a variety of contexts
  • to develop respect for the humanity and ecology of the earth and the sensitivity to appreciate life’s deep joys and mysteries
  • to invite and seek to understand contradictory and complementary perspectives
  • to listen and understand empathically

Mindful of the ever-changing world, New Roads School acknowledges a continuing need to evaluate these essential skills.

We understand that there are many kinds of intelligence. As such, our programs call upon our young people to develop and appreciate the value and interdependence of cognition, intuition, imagination, creativity, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence as well as personal wellbeing. To neglect any of these areas is to limit students in the liberation of their full human potential.