Well, wow. What a history trip. I never went to a one-room schoolhouse, and it might be easy to romanticize the experience after visiting Reed School. There are two floors: the downstairs, which served as both the lunchroom, recess place on bad-weather days, and a general meeting room. The blackboards on the walls explain the history of the one-room schoolhouse, talk about the rules for teachers from the early 20th century, the salary earned, and give a general sense of the life of students and teachers. There are some videos available that go into more detail and one even includes a sample test. Upstairs is the schoolroom itself, complete with chalkboards, books, classic desks and various assignments, all available for viewing up-close. The woman working here has a classic school-teacher vibe and is absolutely delightful -- full of stories, answers to questions, and explanations for everything you see. Reed School is only open on the weekends, but is worth it for the chance to remind yourself of, or perhaps question, the advantages or disadvantages of schools today. According to the info, Reed School sets aside one day every so often for nearby fourth-graders to have the one-room schoolhouse experience. Sounds like it might be fun (I say as an adult who isn't doing it.) read more

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