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I respect the opinions of teachers as it relates to education and student development. I see a lot of dissatisfied teachers both IRL and online, bemoaning the state of education today. So, I thought this might be an interesting exercise...
Teachers only....
Design your ideal school. What would an average day look like? What would your class sizes be? What would you teach? How would these things be taught? How would you, as the designer of this school, keep tabs on student achievement?
I'm not a teacher obviously, so add in whatever you think is important.
I hope you don't mind but I would rather design a district, on the county level.
Schools would be divided into rough 1/3s; vocational (trades), college prep (traditional high schools) and themed schools. Themed schools would be divided into themes; science, foreign language, IB, engineering, communications, etc. Additionally, the thematic academies should be offered at both college prep and gt levels. Vocational is normally thematic anyway, but expand beyond traditional plumbing, automotive , culinary and HVAC to include things like marine trades (good money in being a wage mariner or diesel mechanic), law enforcement, hospitality, and so on.
Allow school to design school years that best meet their themes/missions. Some schools may choose 4 days a week all year, some might want trimesters, and so on.
Most schools would flip the day with extracurriculars offered in the AM and school starting later in the day.
Incorporate collegial and community service standards. Meaning students in vocational and thematic programs that can work towards the school and district good, do so. Kids in electrician programs work with kids in STEM academies to design and maintain school networks. Kids in environmental science classes and those in 4H work together to design school gardens, whose output is utilized by the kids in culinary and hospitality and to augment free and reduced lunch programs in the district. Kids in college prep, have community service requirements to help with these sorts of initiatives. All kids required to help clean their own school.
I hope you don't mind but I would rather design a district, on the county level.
Schools would be divided into rough 1/3s; vocational (trades), college prep (traditional high schools) and themed schools. Themed schools would be divided into themes; science, foreign language, IB, engineering, communications, etc. Additionally, the thematic academies should be offered at both college prep and gt levels. Vocational is normally thematic anyway, but expand beyond traditional plumbing, automotive , culinary and HVAC to include things like marine trades (good money in being a wage mariner or diesel mechanic), law enforcement, hospitality, and so on.
Allow school to design school years that best meet their themes/missions. Some schools may choose 4 days a week all year, some might want trimesters, and so on.
Most schools would flip the day with extracurriculars offered in the AM and school starting later in the day.
Incorporate collegial and community service standards. Meaning students in vocational and thematic programs that can work towards the school and district good, do so. Kids in electrician programs work with kids in STEM academies to design and maintain school networks. Kids in environmental science classes and those in 4H work together to design school gardens, whose output is utilized by the kids in culinary and hospitality and to augment free and reduced lunch programs in the district. Kids in college prep, have community service requirements to help with these sorts of initiatives. All kids required to help clean their own school.
This is a really interesting concept. Has this ever been done in real life?
I think your ideas about kids from different tracks working together is particularly good. We did that in college for several projects and the experience is a much better way to learn your craft than just working alone.
I also agree with children being required to help clean their schools. It helps them feel invested in their school community, teaches responsibility and is generally a good life skill to have.
In elementary school, each student is assigned a "job." The teacher usually rotates the job periodically for each student. A lot of those jobs involved keeping the classroom clean: picking up the trash from the floor, wiping desks, emptying the pencil sharpner, sweeping the floor, and the most coveted in the old days-washing the chalkboard! Little kids loved having a job. There also used to be clean out your desk times before vacations. Somehow, in middle and high school, it was expected that the teacher had to erase/wash her own friggin board.
My ideal school would be run like a night school but with day merits.
Swimming
Driving
Shop
Home etc
Would be integrated
................
Making any student ( irregardless of age ) sign any agreement on Sexual harassment is a wrong or even bringing it up is wrong. Because it could create students who become violent.
Bringing up topics like non-heterosexual, LGBT is wrong and students who promote themselves as such parents will be questioned ( not any harshness ). Because it could make students who will act out in negative means towards each other.
And these ideas will be removed.
...................................
Health class will be field trips to clinics showing people who have
STD
Lung cancer
Birth giving
Vaginal and Penis parts will not be shown in any picture but a diagram that is an outline or a 3d model that sculpted and colored not to discriminate.
....................
Police officers will be undercover as hall monitors.
Bathrooms will be checked periodically ( not stalls ) for smokers and drug users.
.......................
Students with councilors and parents need to understand that all perosnal in school are substitute parents. The school will do it's best to parent but are not the parents of the students at all.
.............................
All schools will follow a free open college format.
.............................
Anybody that even looks like gang or counter-culture will be given special treatment and shown the value of education with a tour of your education and value ............................. Behaviour will be reintegrated and teachers are required to call parents during their work hours if a student is caught using their phone in class-time. Even txt the parent or whatever. Teachers needs to be stern with the parents and if a parent attacks a student with violent or verbal abuse the parent could be arrested or even the student might even be placed into fostercare.
The last 4 years of high school would be all about learning a certain (chosen)skill.
All graduates could then embark on a career, rather than having to go to college, or pay for an expensive degree before they can do anything other than sling hash.
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