A wonderful resource on democratic education is the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO):
www.educationrevolution.org
The AERO book store provides a great reading list on democratic education and related topics:
http://www.educationrevolution.org/bysubject.html
You should also check out the links to their member schools to get a sense of the great variety of free/open schools around the country and the world. Here are a few that I suggest visiting:
1.
Summerhill (
http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/): The "original alternative free school" founded by A.S. Neill in 1921.
2.
Sudbury Valley School (
www.sudval.org/): A well established and well respected democratic school located right here in Massachusetts. (Class trip?)
3.
Jefferson County Open School (
http://sc.jeffco.k12.co.us/education/school/school.php?sectionid=296) in Colorado, where an old friend of mine teaches art. Every year she takes her HS students to the Sundance Film Festival and every other year, she takes them to L.A. to look at community murals as part of a study of public art and the Chicano movement.
Finally, please check out AERO's "Start a School Program," which provides several opportunities for people just getting started, including several online courses, a mentor ListServe, and consulting services.