It’s incredibly fascinating to me how having an administration that is open to adjusting its structure allows for a diversified pedagogy within your own classrooms. Students at PSII are allowed to pursue the same projects across multiple years. This is promoted within the school whereas in the public system, this may not be possible due to the manner in which classes are planned and which teachers will be assigned which classes. This allows students to pursue community engagements and projects without the threat of a semi-immediate deadline to produce results. This allows students the opportunity to pursue ideas, fail with them and then adjust and return to the project without losing grades or leaving something “unfinished”. I could see other ways in which having a flexible administration allows instructors freedom to design classes in manners which more accurately pursue the goals of the students. This relocation of the goals of education, from a singular idea designed by the institution, to the individual goals of each student, allows for the institution to justify its educational practices in a manner that the public system cannot. Finally since this system focuses on the desires of the student, they will be more successful at teaching students who are different from the administration. Since their purpose is to serve the students, they are more likely to look to understand the student’s motivations, goals, and abilities rather than a typical institution which does not have to account for each students abilities since their goal is not specific to each student. 

For other perspectives on alternative educational institutions, this audiobook by Dr. Kerry McDonald explores the challenges that parents and educators are facing.