Alternative school, alternative views

For my dyad placement, I have been at an alternative school. The three other interns and I interviewed the principal today to learn many things about the school. One thing that I found interesting is that the principle's vision and goals for the school is quite different than what the school's community of parents want. In general, the parents at this school do not want to do outreach to the community because they view themselves as different than other schools. Also, parents tend to not want to do outreach because they don't want other people to discover the school, in fear of attracting more students. A lot of parents like the school because of its small size as well as the strong community atmosphere that they have created within the school. So, it seems that they are quite happy with community, as long as it remains small and internal.

Another viewpoint that parents in the district tend to have of the alternative school is a place to send your child if they are struggling academically, emotionally, or behaviorally. And, in fact, the opposite is true. That is, the school is set up for students who are self-directed and in a way, more independent than typical students.