About the Advisory

In 1996, the state of Rhode Island took a risk on a radically different kind of high school. Traditional schools were losing too many students. Kids were bored, disengaged, and dropping out. The Met, based in Providence, set out to reimagine what school could be. Instead of one-size-fits-all, The Met was built around strong relationships, real-world learning, and each student’s unique interests. Its goals reached beyond test scores and graduation rates: The Met aimed to nurture lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and thriving adults in both their personal and professional lives.

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Andrew Frishman was there in The Met’s early days. As an advisor, he worked with the same group of 15 students for four years. He wasn’t just their teacher—he was their guide, helping them to discover who they were as learners, in pursuing their passions, and connecting with adults in the wider community who could support their journey.

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Andrew’s students graduated in 2006. Now, nearly twenty years later, he is reconnecting with them to ask a simple but powerful question: How did your education at The Met shape your life? For Andrew, this is more than revisiting the past. He’s testing whether the experiment he has dedicated his career to really delivered—and what it means for education today.

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The Advisory: Class of 2006 follows Andrew as he reconnects with his former students—recounting high school years, mapping two decades of growth, and exploring the lasting impact of a school built on trust, possibility, and human connection. We will also meet students who are at the Met today to hear what the experience is like for them in 2026.