Sudbury Scalability: a Matter of Choice

For some time now, my posts have prompted a line of feedback that doesn't directly relate to the Sudbury school philosophy, but instead wonders how broadly applicable this model is. Can it work on a large scale? Is it accessible to diverse ethnicities and classes? In other words, does Sudbury have the potential to be more than a fringe phenomenon, to exert a substantial influence on education reform?

I'll confess upfront, I haven't spent a tremendous amount of time contemplating these questions. For many of us, simply starting and maintaining Sudbury schools is quite demanding, not to say distracting. But these are important issues, so this post will step away from the Sudbury trees to take a preliminary, speculative look at the larger forest.

From a brick-and-mortar perspective, scalability appears to be a real strength of the Sudbury model. I've long been amazed at how few students it takes to generate an atmosphere of passionate learning. Even with twenty or fewer students, Sudbury schools are alive with curiosity and exuberance. As for an upper limit, the original Sudbury Valley School has maintained enrollments in the vicinity of 200 for several years. Democratically run schools may find this an ideal size: enough students for a wealth of interests and activities, yet a small enough community that the democratic process retains a personal face.

That's not to say a Sudbury school couldn't or shouldn't grow larger; the point is, a wide range of enrollment is possible, with only a modest outlay of resources. By minimizing overhead—for example, fewer textbooks and support personnel are needed when students pursue their own interests on their own schedule—Sudbury schools remain a model of institutional efficiency. Even with a student-to-staff ratio as small as 15:1, a school of 150 students requires a staff of only ten.

But efficiency alone doesn't make an alternative accessible. The tax-dollar monopoly of public schooling poses a significant financial barrier for those seeking real change. (Lawyers and doctors don't enjoy government-sanctioned monopolies, but education is apparently too critical to be left in the hands of mere families and teachers.) While Sudbury schools work hard to support those wishing to enroll, without intensive fundraising the number and size of our schools will likely fall short of their potential. Indeed, we will never know what kinds of schools people want, much less what schools work best, so long as people are forced to choose between those that do and do not have to charge tuition.

As for whether Sudbury schools could ‘go public,' I have to say I highly doubt such a groundbreaking model would ever receive government funding on a large scale—nor would most of us want to. Governments are in the business of regulation, and their support comes with heavy strings; Sudbury schools, meanwhile, cherish their autonomy and flexibility. Yet the issue goes beyond political considerations. Too much of our culture clings to outdated, industrial-era thinking. Too many of us believe that learning can (and ought to) be standardized: scientifically designed and prescribed, quantitatively measured. Worse still, instead of simply having government-guaranteed access to education (something it would be hard to argue against), we're stuck with government-run schools.

Consequently, far too many parents are economically unable to choose how their own children are to be educated. For these reasons, I do not believe that even charter schools will ever be allowed to effect truly fundamental change. In my view, public choice schools straddle a broad fence separating innovation and control; in this tug-of-war, given our industrial-minded culture, control will always win. Besides, what school districts give with one hand they can too easily take back with the other. (Just ask Blue Mountain, a Sudbury charter school in Oregon.)

What we need scalability in is common sense. Rather than bending and stretching an outmoded system to fit 21st-century reality, we should embrace altogether new forms of education. Sudbury schools believe in trusting children, extending to them the full measure of human and civil rights that form the birthright of democratic citizens. Not only do children deserve this; it also creates the best learning environment.

But for schools like Sudbury to be truly scalable, people will first have to know they exist. Secondly, means will have to be found for making them affordable for all who desire to enroll. All families deserve their choice not only of schools, but educational philosophies. Only when this comes to pass will we enjoy meaningful alternatives; only then will we see effective learning on a large scale.

photo by don_brubeck