How To Start You Own School

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Our friend Michael is going to Canada by himself for afewweeks. He talks of taking Stephan with him, Stephan our tender boy of 10 . "But he's too young, " I protest. "And I don't know Michael that well. " "Great. So get to know him, " says Rasberry. So I do, and soon I must ask: why should Stephan be tied to my growth pace? Am I afraid he'll get ahead of us? Let him go, without guilt. Children should be free to make whatever reality, whatever new constructions they can make. What if it does rain all the time? He'll learn not to go to the Northwest in the fall. Or to dig the rain.

* * *

We cannot teach each other everything that it's possible to learn. Yet in many ways we have more resources — just the 12 of us — than we could ever possibly explore or use. Why are we so closed to it all?

Moving together . . . a few halting spacey steps. . . parting from the dominant culture's basic premises . . . we begin to realize that if we had communities we wouldn't need schools. Our need for an alternative school is a reflection of our alienation from the dominant culture. But our need for a school at all is a reflection of our alienation from ourselves and our brothers and sisters.

So why don't we just improve our lives?

ON AFFILLIATING WITH COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES

Most colleges and universities have departments of education or psychology with at least one professor (or graduate student) vitally interested in, if not an alternative culture, progressive education.

Seek out such persons and see if they will sponsor (or be on the board, or at least help you) with the development of your school.

Here are a few potential advantages gleaned from schools who have connections:

— prestige—facilitating the dealings with local bureaucracies
— possible locations for housing the school (you'll have to be very convincing, but worth a try)
— free source of film rentals, projectors (the most common use of colleges—order through the professor's department)
— use of college facilities for school benefits
— sub-rosa enrollment of older kids in college classes
— use of athletic areas
— source of teaching assistance
— channel for seeking funds, grant applications, etc.
— printing, maybe use of mailing, telephones, office supplies (if very discreet).

The danger is obvious—you've got to dance a fine line to keep from being assimilated into a heavy Educational Experiment, or teacher training laboratory. (See also New Schools Exchange Occasional Paper, "Education, the University, and the Community" by Allen Graubard, available through NSE)

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