In 1968 at the Armonk Paideia School, Mechner introduced a novel approach to K-12 education that applies what is known about the learning process, organizational theory, and psychology. Termed “Paideia Individualized Education” (PIE), it has been further refined at Queens Paideia School. Analysis suggests that when a number of PIE schools are aggregated to form a larger school in which the small schools operate as self-contained units, the benefits of the PIE system are preserved at a per-pupil cost below that of most present-day public schools.
