Agile By Design: Shifting Sunnyside Micro-School to Online
…plus my thoughts about sliding-scale offerings
In March of 2020, families all over the world found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly homeschooling. In the midst of a global crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, parents were sent scrambling across the internet in search of anything of value to supplement their child’s education. Most conventional schools’ approach to emergency online learning left many families confused, overwhelmed, and left behind. Pretty soon, caregivers were drowning in apps, online courses, live-streamed study groups, and more.
Immobilized by feelings of overwhelm, many parents—particularly those with twice-exceptional children—ended up trashing the idea that their kid could have a meaningful education experience at home.
As educators, we were scrambling too! The staff at Sunnyside Micro-School knew we were in a unique position to help, but—how? I personally had taught a beloved online chemistry class for twice-exceptional children for years. I knew firsthand the amount of consideration that effectively teaching online required. As a staff, we were already experienced in the improvisational and innovative mindset necessary for navigating unconventional modes of learning with our students.
The moment we closed the doors to Sunnyside Micro-School, Sunnyside Online began to take shape.
Sunnyside Online was a sliding scale, pay-as-you-go school designed for twice-exceptional third, fourth, and fifth graders who needed access to thoughtful, engaging lessons led virtually by experienced educators. We remained a STEAM, project- and strength-based program, offering each student a differentiated plan of study with group accountability and the opportunity to work one-on-one with skilled math, language arts, and Spanish language teachers. We also offered live, à la carte group classes in poetry, Spanish language, marine biology, anti-racism, and more.
Everyone’s favorite aspect of our time together was Presentation Day. Every two weeks, each child would create a project informed by whatever theme we were exploring at that time. Typical themes included outer space, the Earth’s processing, and food webs. Students would create comics, short movies, games, or 3D models representing their comprehension of our lessons and discussions. The kids would clap and cheer each other on. While many people were bemoaning online learning as boring and ineffective, we were having a relatively sweet time amidst incredible global difficulties.
In all honesty, I was scared to death to offer a sliding scale program. It was a pandemic—we all were scrambling. I didn’t have the bandwidth to sift through people’s pay stubs or bank statements to determine eligibility for a discounted price. Even if I did, I still wouldn’t engage in that type of policy. Asking a family to make themselves vulnerable in that way is not a great first step toward building a relationship of mutual respect and compassion.
What if people took sliding scale as an indicator of low quality? In general, people equate a high cost with high quality. What if people took advantage of our goodwill and paid the least even when they could afford more? In our marketing materials and in conversations with prospective families, I’d share that we were committed to innovation and justice at every level of our design—including our pricing. I stated plainly that I hoped those with more resources would help offset the price of admission for those with less. This was one way we could come together as a community committed to caring for one another.
I’m so glad I pushed through my fear because I wouldn’t have wanted to miss what happened next! Over the course of a year and a half, we served over one hundred families from all over the United States and Europe. Twenty percent of our families paid our highest price. This allowed eighty percent of our families to pay at the level that felt comfortable to them. I could comfortably cover payroll and our monthly expenses while delivering a high-quality service to families who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford Sunnyside Online.
Many of our families had never had access to educators who understood the unique constellation of needs of twice-exceptional students. They had never experienced appropriately designed lessons and classes for their children. Parents told me stories about how they could see their children healing from past education trauma and coming back into their joyful and curious selves.
Looking back, I see clearly how the inherent agility of the micro-school model made all of this possible. Sunnyside was not beholden to a higher power to whom we had to seek permission or guidance as we transitioned online. The lack of bureaucracy meant we were free to be as quick and creative with our changes as needed. Personally, I thrive under these types of circumstances. The first few months of lockdown held dark moments for all of us. Having this challenge to overcome gave me purpose and a creative outlet that kept me from spiraling into anxiety about global circumstances I couldn’t control. Sunnyside Online was a bright spot in the lockdown phase of the pandemic for many people, including me.
Until next time,
Jade