Little Red School House
and Elisabeth Irwin High School

A Pre-K-12 Progressive Education

What Can A Question Do?

change a perspective
open a conversation
offer a challenge
launch a shared project
inspire wonder
advance justice
foster democracy

At LREI, We Believe Great Learners Ask Great Questions.

Since 1921, LREI has been a leader in progressive education. From pre-K-12th grade, students develop the tools to explore increasingly complex challenges — intellectual and personal, local and global, philosophical and practical — and build the skills and resolve to pursue real solutions.

What's Different About LREI?

Ambitious progressive education
In keeping with our founder's philosophy, we believe that the ultimate purpose of progressive education is to develop engaged, empathetic, practiced citizens who are active participants in democracy.
Intentional equity and community
Ensuring genuine equity guides our practice, and reaching it is a shared responsibility. Active participation in just communities begins in the classroom and extends into each child's ever-widening world. This is hard work, and we re-commit to it every day.
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Authentic rigor
By learning through experiences — our own and others' — we ensure that students make meaning from and build knowledge of the world around them every day. Our students work on real problems that require complex solutions, developing persistence, focus, critical thinking and analytical skills, and creativity.
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Fieldwork – not field trips
LREI students aren't visitors; they are researchers. They explore the world as their labs, making observations, collecting data, testing theories, and constructing models in order to more deeply understand the ecosystems, cultures, and communities they inhabit. Here, fieldwork means active engagement, and it starts at age 4.
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The world is a better place with more LREI graduates in it
Confident, versatile, and collaborative citizens — our alumni are fully prepared for the unpredictable future.
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And More...

We can't wait to share the LREI experience with you!
We invite you to review our learning philosophy and curriculum arc. Call or email us with your toughest questions. Or, even better, schedule a tour and ask us in person.