A Look At The Brooklyn Apple Academy

Tim from the Q at Parkside, who has been searching for the perfect public school for his daughter, recently paid a visit to neighbor Noah Apple‘s Brooklyn Apple Academy. The home school cooperative, which accepts 4-6 students at a time and focuses on art and play in education, got a great review from Tim, who says it combines the structured days of work you’d expect from a more traditional school with an unbeatable teacher-student ratio and field trips to unexpected locations. Tim points out:

If inquisition and discovery are the main methods by which we learn, there’s no reason to assume knowledge comes only or even mainly from “school.” Plus, learning in a super-small group in a non-traditional school building might appeal to parents uncomfortable with the usual trappings of elementary school. Noah and his partner Lizzi Mazal are clearly skilled and loving educators, and the vibe is chill but with enough thoughtfulness to assuage any fears of a hippy-commune free-for-all. (Though, a little hippy-commune-free-for-all now and then ain’t so bad, at least if everyone bathes regularly.)

You can see the full post here.

Does anyone have experience with the Brooklyn Apple Academy, or similarly-small educational setups like The RAD School, which the BAA lists as an inspiration? What do you think about this progressive, collaborative program vs. the standard public or private institutions, or individual homeschooling?

Photo via the Brooklyn Apple Academy