Brooklyn Free School

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) differs from your average school, which aims to educate for social justice. BFS was founded in 2004 by a group of educators and parents who recognized the need for alternative educational choices for students with learning differences that would hinder success in mainstream classrooms in conventional schools. We created a differentiated curriculum based on the individual interests and needs of each student, and our pedagogy is informed by prominent educators Paolo Freire’s popular education and Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. We also support SEL through conflict mediation, personal reflection, diversity awareness, and community responsibility. 

Since the school’s inception in 2004, the asking tuition has been $30,000; however, BFS has always offered a range of tuition rates. COVID-19 has changed that by forcing the school to move from Clinton Hill to Bed-Stuy, and we are engaging more diverse BIPOC families in terms of race/ethnicity and socio-economic background who either cannot pay full or partial tuition. This, in turn, has changed who makes up the BFS community geographically, demographically, and socio-economically. The shift in student demographics and socioeconomic diversity is a positive change for the school, as it enables BFS to better center our social justice mission by serving a broader and more representative student body, the school can work towards greater equity and inclusion in education, aligning with its commitment to social justice values.

Who We Are

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is a Pre-K through 12th grade independent day school founded in 2003 by a group of parents and teachers who recognized the need for an alternative to the educational choices offered in New York City. BFS is a vanguard in the Democratic Free School movement, currently serving over 80 families. Our educational approach supports students in directing their own learning with the guidance of highly qualified teachers, their peers, and the larger community through internships, classes, workshops, activities and trips. We place the highest value on social/emotional growth and societal change so that students are free to be themselves while practicing empathy for others.

Brooklyn Free School’s mission is education for social justice.