Green Valley School, Orange City, Florida: America's Most Unusual School.

by Jack Dancer

Overview

This is a true story...

In Green Valley School, Orange City, Florida: America's Most Unusual School, Jack Dancer delves into the fascinating and tumultuous history of a revolutionary educational experiment that defied the norms of its time. This book is not just a memoir of Dancer's time as a volunteer staff member during the late '60s but a deep dive into the story of America's first "free school"—the controversial and trailblazing Summerlane School, which ultimately became Green Valley School in Orange City, Florida.

Founded by the enigmatic Reverend George von Hilsheimer, a man as brilliant as he was unorthodox, the school drew inspiration from A.S. Neill's Summerhill School in England. Reverend George, an ordained preacher at just 14, was a complex figure who balanced between being hailed as a visionary and dismissed as a charlatan. His passionate belief in individual freedom, creative imagination, and human dignity set the foundation for a school that was as unconventional as it was ambitious.

But this story is not just about the school's ideals—it's about the relentless opposition it faced. Through meticulous research spanning over 400 sources, including court transcripts, newspaper articles, interviews, and a U.S. Senate investigation, Dancer uncovers how politicians and bureaucrats conspired to dismantle this educational experiment. Despite their efforts, they could not silence the impact of Green Valley. When all else failed, they resorted to a time-honored tactic: a show trial aimed at discrediting the institution and its founder.

Green Valley School is a gripping narrative of rebellion, resilience, and the fight for an education system that dared to be different, offering a rare glimpse into a chapter of American history that many tried to erase.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940185784549
Publisher:	W.S. Jones
Publication date:	09/09/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Jack Dancer is like a human pinball, bouncing through life with all the finesse of a drunk elephant. Born with a silver spoon (which he quickly pawned for beer money), Jack’s seen it all—from the gutter to the penthouse, sometimes in the same week.

By 11, he realized Santa was just Dad with better marketing. At 13, he discovered girls weren’t icky. By 14, God seemed as real as his dreams of becoming a pro yodeler.

At 16, high on hormones and low on common sense, Jack and a trio of teenage dreamers headed for New York. Instead of fame, they found themselves living in a basement with a wino until Jack’s dad dragged him back home.

Lesson learned? Hardly. It was just the opening chapter in Jack’s “How to Piss Off Authority” guide.

By 18, he’d landed at a Florida school for sociopaths, which earned him a “get out of Vietnam” pass. He hitched to Boston with a new wife and cat, dove into the counterculture, and worked as a welder for a defense contractor. Life’s full of contradictions.

Jack’s resume reads like a drunk’s dartboard: ice cream man, boardwalk barker, welder, snake oil salesman—sorry, advertising executive.

He’s been married four times (one lasted 28 years, one was a hiccup), and fatherhood taught him that kids are like tattoos on your face—seemed like a good idea at the time.

In Jack’s world, life’s simple: no sequel, no refunds.