It is important. A contributing factor to making sure that schools become democratic communities, she believes, is size. Schools have to be small enough so that we can have easy access to each other's work, can easily meet around a table, and have control over most of the critical parameters of our tasks. If schools are too large, their structure too complicated, hierarchical, and bureaucratic, she contends, teachers remain isolated and powerless. It's not worth the trouble.
Nobody ever gets to know each other well enough to hear each other's opinion, hear each other out.
And when we do finally 'hear,' we haven't enough power to do much to solve the issues that surface. Probably under twenty per class is reasonable. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer and copyright information.