A Matter of Philosophy
“The question is not, -- how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education -- but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?- Charlotte Mason
The hybrid model is unique all by itself, but a hybrid school with a focused philosophy of education is a double-edged sword. Reaching not just the people who want the benefits of part-time private schooling and of homeschooling, but also those looking for alternative methods of actual learning, a hybrid school with an articulated philosophy can cut into multiple niches of the market at the same time.
Can most schools really tell learning philosophy guides their schedules, books, relationships, and curricula? Can they tell you exactly why they use each book and method of learning? Some can, but many cannot. An answer may be something about literacy and benchmarks, high graduation rates or test scores… and some schools can even show data as to how they have achieved these goals (or plan to). However, there are usually some parents out there, who have an inkling that something is amiss in this definition of education.
A child who finishes school and is inspired by his heroes to higher character and action, can grapple with truth and falsehood with his own sound mind, can relate to the men and women of history and really care about their lives and stories, can enjoy truly lovely music and art, can revel in nature and remember his place in it, may be the kind of adult parents are looking for at the end of the schooling journey. Test scores are a window into the knowledge of facts. But what a narrow window, and what a small world!
Having a program that focuses heavily on what is lacking in traditional education, can quickly attract those discontent with the status quo.
Not everyone may want the particular method that you care about, but some will! The beauty of adding to the choices in a free market in education is that it allows each to bring his own vision to a niche of the market place.
Which philosophy?
Our program uses the methods of Charlotte Mason to guide our school days. We prioritize time outdoors and Nature Study as a subject, excellent living books for history and literature, systematic study and enjoyment of 3 artists and composers per year, and a Christian worldview, among other things. This philosophy guides our curricula choices, and because it is such a prominent part of what we do, attracts those who are either homeschooling because that was the only way to get such an education, or those who prefer school but cannot find a method such as this anywhere else in the area.
Charlotte Mason is one method (that I am particularly fond of, obviously!), but Classical schools or those influenced by Montessori or Steiner (Waldorf) would also find a niche. Schools following a particular religious practice or that specialize in something such as the arts, the sciences, delayed academics (more play in early years), history, logic, etc…can almost certainly find a market of people eager for a very defined methodology.
You need not follow a particular label either, but, if not, be sure you can clearly articulate what you do and why. Creating schedules and choosing curricula is not an easy task if you want to do it differently than the status quo. You must understand your vision and philosophy well to keep from being distracted and remain true to sound practice.
A good number of families who come to our program know little or nothing about Charlotte Mason, and that is okay, because we know. They DO know they want a low-pressure environment, they want their child to be able to develop at his own pace, they want time outside and they want good books. They want something different…they know that much! This is why it is so important for the program itself to have a solid grasp of why. It establishes trust when parents know just what they are getting when they come.