Scott, I agree with your first statement. As to your second: 'Absence of
knowledge is not knowledge of absence. I've seen several including my home.
For this I have some gratitude to Sudbury Valley. I fould out about this
school when we were in the process of going from schooling to unschooling.
What I read about Sudbury was very similar to my own ideas about education,
but here was an example with a track record. Since there was no Sudbury type
school in our area, we went for homeschooling while thinking that Sudbury
would be better. Since then our ideas have evolved to unschooling (that was
a very short transition) and to "non-coercive" parenting. Now when I talk to
people about alternatives to traditional education, I mention Sudbury Valley,
but I prefer our home environment.
Bob