In the story, "We Get to Be a Kayak," George Philhower, superintendent of the small, rural Eastern Hancock schools in Indiana, offers a powerful, reassuring message to small school leaders and followers everywhere: your size is your strength.

At a time when political battles, funding changes, and parental pressures are shaking the foundations of education, Philhower’s metaphor—that small schools are like nimble kayaks, while larger systems can be more like lumbering cruise ships—rings especially true. He shows how small schools' built-in responsiveness, deep community relationships, and clarity of purpose can turn turbulence into opportunity.

Small school leaders and supporters will love this article because it validates what they experience daily:

• They move faster than big systems, pivoting with minimal bureaucracy.
• They know their students and families personally, making real-time adjustments to serve them better.
• They live their mission authentically, rather than launching “engagement initiatives” or politically driven programs from the top down.
• They model innovation that larger districts and schools are trying to emulate.

You can click here to read the article (Education Week, April 28, 2025).

And now, with Harvard’s Graduate School of Education partnering with the Micro Schools Network to offer a first-of-its-kind leadership certificate for small and microschool heads, this movement is not just thriving—it’s being recognized and professionally developed at the highest levels (Stuart Grauer was featured in the first podcast for this summer’s launching of this program.)

Most of all, Philhower’s message offers a tone of calm, confidence, and optimism—exactly what many of us need in an era that too often feels dominated by fear and reactive policymaking. It reminds leaders and school supporters of all kinds that staying true to their relationships and community roots is not just nice; it's our competitive advantage and it is healthy for kids and teachers.

Whether you support a 50-student micro-school or a 300-student rural district, this article is an affirmation that small, agile, relationship-based education is not just surviving, it’s thriving. There might not be a faster growing movement in education today than the human-scale, more democratic, small schools proliferating around the country.

COMMENT! Click on the "Comments" drop-down box below to share a comment.

SHARE! Click on the social media icons below or copy the link to share this column.