Back in 2023 I listened to Jordan Peterson’s interview with Jeff Sandefer, How to Educate Your Children. Sandefer and his wife Laura founded Acton Academy, a learner-driven school where adults are guides rather than lecturers, discussions are Socratic, and kids own their learning.
This really cemented the Greek rewiring I got on the merits of using questions. So, how hard could it be to start up an Academy? These guys at Act-On have the package all ready to standup.
The elevator pitch, literally
Then, bit of a miracle, after stashing my bike in the underground parking, I met one of our school trustees waiting at the elevator. My brain flashed to the podcast, seized the opportunity, and gave her a quick sales pitch. She told me it sounded interesting. Door closed.
Once at the desk I passed along an email with links etc. After a few days I got an email that she passed it onto the director of Learning Services.
An email chain ensued. They had 120+ schools, a few which were mothballed due to aging community demographics. They could commandeer one of these old schools, then invite some of the teaching staff ready for a new education adventure, and we’d be off to the races.
What I heard back
I’d applied to Acton’s founder program. They wrote back that my application stood out among the hundred or so they get each week, and sent encouragement with a line from Joseph Campbell that I still think about: “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
Now, Jeff advised me that they never yet had success with an existing district.
But I could be the first. Naive, but soon to be informed.
I had asked an extended family member, recently graduated with a bachelor of Education, what she thought. Her take was practical:
- Easier for new teachers. Without years of their own materials to rework, switching is less painful. Senior teachers would have more to unlearn.
- Not for every student. Kids who struggle with self-regulation may need more structure.
- Higher engagement. It pushes students toward student-led interest, much like inquiry-based learning.
- Training matters. It’s a different way to teach, and staff need to see it done.
- District support has to stay light. There’s a fine line between connection and micromanaging.
The director was gracious. He probably didn’t listen to the podcast (he’s busy and I was an imposition). I asked about strategies to share with teachers. His answer was that inquiry and Socratic questioning were left to individual teachers to use as they saw fit. Interestingly, the district’s own leaders were being trained in Generative Dialogue, a coaching approach built almost entirely on inquiry and questions. So the district believed in questioning for adults, even if a whole Socratic school was too far outside the box.
The school never launched, but I don’t count it as a failure.
Two rules I picked up
What I took away was a pair of rules for any conversation where you’re trying to help someone think:
- Only ask questions.
- Never ask a question you already know the answer to.
The first keeps you from lecturing. The second keeps you honest, because a question you know the answer to is just a lecture in disguise, and people can tell. Together they move the other person from listening to thinking.
I try using them with my team, with clients, and increasingly with AI. A well-asked question gets a far better answer from a person or a model than a well-phrased instruction.
Why it matters more now
The barrier for a Socratic school used to be scale: you needed skilled guides and a lot of patience for every child. AI tutors are changing that. Programs like Acton and Alpha School already pair self-paced, technology-driven academics with adults who coach rather than lecture. (I wrote more about that shift in From Obedience to Curiosity.)
Districts don’t have to launch a new school to start. A dedicated track, a pilot classroom, or simply teaching staff the two rules above would move things in the right direction. The kids who learn to ask good questions will be the ones who thrive.
Have you tried something like this in your district? I’d like to hear how it went: info@celeritysw.com.
References
- The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, 336. How to Educate Your Children | Jeff Sandefer (March 2023)
- Acton Academy, and Laura Sandefer’s book Courage to Grow
- The Knowledge Project, Joe Liemandt: Alpha School and the Future of Education
