Metro: The Chicago Public High School for Metropolitan Studies, 1970-1991

Freedom, choice and responsibility was the mantra of Metro High School-the School Without Walls-a bold experiment by the Chicago Public Schools that operated from 1970-1991. This was a far cry from the test driven standardized high school of today. And while Metro is long gone, the stories here suggest it may still offer some food for thought for re-evaluating high schools today. Metro was designed to draw students from all over the city and to seek new ways to involve students in their own education and to utilize the many facets of this very vibrant city. Students took classes at Metro's Loop headquarters but also at such varied locations as the Art Institute of Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Second City Theater and Northeastern Illinois' Center for Inner City Studies. They travelled throughout the city to learn from the people of Chicago.