“Trust children and they will learn” this is the motto of the Albany Free School. The Albany Free School is the oldest alternative school that is still in existence today. At this school students are free to choose how they want to spend their day. There are no grades or mandated curriculum, teachers’ asses each student’s strengths and weakness individually. The students use a council meeting system to resolve problems this lets the student be an active participant within the school. The Albany Free school website states, “Truth be told, we are a community far more than a school – a safe, nurturing, open space where every day about sixty kids ages three through fourteen, eight full-time teachers, a cook, a steady stream of interns, volunteers and visitors work, play, learn and eat together.” In today’s society we put a lot of emphasis on what grades a student received, but I believe more emphasis should be put on what did the student learn, and what skills and knowledge did the student gain. I belive the Albany Free School address that in educating their students.