This booklet looks like a good reality check: The Six Predictable Failures of Free Schools
Using Sarason’s work, McInerney presents six key lessons for school founders. “Among all the arguing about Free Schools I was shocked that so few people mention the most boring but critical questions about running a school such as how many dinner ladies you will need and where you will store your stationary. Getting excited about grand visions of ethos and culture might be fun, but that’s not what new schools systematically fail to get right.”