Ashley Deans, Ph.D., Director of Maharishi School (K-12), Fairfield, Iowa

“Imagine you are visiting a school where there are no locks on the lockers, and a five-dollar bill is pinned on a bulletin board with a note requesting that the owner claim it.

“You step into a ninth-grade classroom to be greeted by a sea of shining faces. The students are wide awake—eager to learn. You ask a question and every hand shoots up. The students giggle with anticipation.

“A teacher tells you she has more energy after a day's teaching than before. A parent confides that her children complain on Fridays that there is no school on the weekend.

"I warmly invite all families to come and experience Maharishi School in action. Interacting each day with students and teachers who are lively and enthusiastic, who work in a friendly and harmonious way - giving their full attention to each activity - fulfils my aspirations as both a teacher and a parent. At this school, learning ability, receptivity, intelligence and creativity all develop significantly, regardless of the student's background or gender.

"Our teaching staff are required to undergo additional training throughout the year in Consciousness-Based Education. This brings them to a very high level of both practical and values knowledge ensuring that all our children are treated with respect and kindness, at the same time given sufficient guidance by both example and understanding.

"We have currently five full time teaching staff as well as seven specialist part-time staff teaching the following subjects: Drama, Music, Italian, Science, IT, Ayurved and Sanskrit"