McCarthy-Towne is a community of learners where children, teachers and families work cooperatively to encourage individual growth and success in a changing world. Children are given the responsibility for learning independently, solving problems and making decisions. They are encouraged to take risks and are acknowledged for their unique talents, skills and ideas.

Teachers and parents are expected to be part of the decision making process for running the school and exploring new possibilities. They readily try new things and risk failure in order to achieve improvements. They want the school's environment to be welcoming, friendly, and safe in a structure that is informal, yet orderly and clear. The environment is designed to value risk taking, collaboration, persistence, flexibility and trust.

Everyone at McCarthy-Towne is considered both a student and a teacher. Integrated curricula and thematic approaches stress cooperation, active participation, and experimentation. Asking questions is considered as important as giving answers; there may be many correct answers. Students' individual needs, personal strengths and learning styles are always supported. Students and parents may share instructional roles with teachers, and all are learning from what occurs in and out of the classroom.