About the Small Schools Coalition

The benefits of small school size cannot be overstated. The design of true small schools enables them to provide elegant, creative, and balanced education not available in any other type of learning environment. We know your school might be facing closure, consolidation, or public misunderstanding (often regarding costs). Small schools are not all things to all people. However, our aim is to continually define and refine the essential characteristics of small school size so that the small school concept will be available for more students. Small Schools share common design features and benefits:

• They are small. Few effective small schools serve more than 400 students, and the maximum benefits occur in schools that serve no more than 230 students.
• They are safer… physically and emotionally.
• They are self-governing.  The school community—whether it shares a building, administrator, or some co-curricular activities with other schools—retains primary authority to make decisions affecting the important aspects of the school.
• They are personalized.  Every student is known by several adults, and every student has an advisor/advocate/mentor (formal or informal) who works closely with him/her and his/her family to personalized the student’s path through school. Student-family-advisor relationships continue through the school years.
• They are inclusive.  Although many are private, all make substantial efforts to include varied demographics.
• They are distinctive and focused rather than comprehensive. They do not try to be all things to all people.
• They include stakeholders actively: parents and community members have greater access to campus and administrative activities, and families are in closer touch with faculty members and administrators.
• They provide benefits that larger and more comprehensive school cannot, including increases in: personal attention, student achievement, safety (emotional and physical), student/family satisfaction/happiness/sense of connectedness, teacher satisfaction and efficacy, graduation rates, etc.
• They are NOT more expensive—in fact, they are less costly in some key ways.
• They are happier – the research shows.

Meet Dr. Stuart Grauer, Our Founder 

The Small Schools Coalition was founded by one of the foremost proponents of, and a worldwide authority on, the Small Schools Movement…. Dr. Stuart Grauer.

Dr. Grauer is the founder and head of school at The Grauer School in Encinitas, California.

Dr. Grauer is also the author of two fantastic books that help redefine schooling, and what true education really is. You can read the reviews and purchase these books directly by clicking on the images of them below.

On behalf of Dr. Grauer, as well as our friends across the globe, thank you for supporting the Small Schools Coalition!

Fearless Teaching Podcast Episodes