Dream school

[houseelf]

What does your dream school for your kids look like? Go crazy with this.

Kelly

[PrincessFiona]

hmmmmmmmmm

Doesn't start until 9am

Provides individualized plans for each student as well as small classrooms of ~15 kids

Has only 6 weeks of summer vacation...

Embraces several different learning theories to meet the needs of different learners

Provides opportunities to take many different foreign languages at the elementary/middle school levels...not just spanish.

Plenty of recess, art and at least 30 minutes for eating lunch.

kris

[Amiens]

-Small classroom size 1:12
-Individualized learning plans
-offers other "activities"- German, French, Spanish
-begins exposing students to all subjects from the beginning, ie- Kindergarten
-provides different ways for the children to learn- hands-on, as well as book

We actually have found a private school here in Boise that offers this, and we are contemplating enrolling Emma for Kindergarten.

Crystal

[Flynn]

-Small classroom size 1:12
-Individualized learning plans
-offers other "activities"- German, French, Spanish
-begins exposing students to all subjects from the beginning, ie- Kindergarten
-provides different ways for the children to learn- hands-on, as well as book

We actually have found a private school here in Boise that offers this, and we are contemplating enrolling Emma for Kindergarten.

Crystal
_______

I will second those thoughts. Also in my "perfect school" there would be ethnic diversity, music, sports, and theater. I also am a big fan of a dress code/uniforms.

The teachers would be a mix of excellent vetrans and new enthusiastic young ones with energy to burn. Life lessons (morals) would be taught everyday and both written and verbal tests would be required. The administration works well with the parents AND the teachers and they don't make 10 times a teacher's salary.

[Rapunzel]

My ideal education for my children:

* Each of my children has a private tutor who teaches them the basics at their own paces along with two foreign languages of their choice and an instrument in addition to the piano.
* Once a year we all take a major trip as family to another nation/world region for a month. The eleven months prior are spent learning about this new place/area in preparation.
* Participation in local debate teams, sports teams, and musical programs as well as chess teams, engineering competitions, etc.

Jennifer

[DCJenn]

Based on what I can tell from Nikolai's personality and physicality, (factoring in that he's also a toddler)

Small class sizes
Same sex (the child loves the female half to the point that he'll be totally distracted by girls)
Emphasis on citizenship the responsibility to give back.
Interesting and interactive classes that include: team sports, individual sports, cooking, languages, art and music AND dance (yes, even for boys)
I like the combination of veteran teachers and new teachers
All year school- with a few one or two week breaks built in for each season.

Absolutely NO fund-raising. I'd much rather write a big ass check in the beginning of the school year.

Jenn

[SueC]

Kris, my daughter's grade school really does start at 9am! It's awesome.
I'll have to think some more about what I really want in a school. I'm sure as my kids get older what I think is important now might pale in comparison to some other unforseen issue.

[houseelf]

Um...is it too late to answer this question?

I will second those thoughts. Also in my "perfect school" there would be ethnic diversity, music, sports, and theater. I also am a big fan of a dress code/uniforms.

The teachers would be a mix of excellent vetrans and new enthusiastic young ones with energy to burn. Life lessons (morals) would be taught everyday and both written and verbal tests would be required. The administration works well with the parents AND the teachers and they don't make 10 times a teacher's salary.

All this plus:

Whether the school was private, charter, or public, it would have a contract which parents would sign at the beginning of each year affirming their commitment to their child's education and delineating school expectations of both parents and children. (i.e. Your A** will get kicked out if you shout at referees during your son's middle school wrestling match; Our expectations is that we are a partnership with your family in educating your family).

The school would be a parent-involvement school. Each parent would commit to 40 hours of service to the school per year. A volunteer coordinator would inventory the schools needs and inform the parents at which point the parents could choose: sewing, website maintenance, gardening, foreign language enhancement of a preexisting curriculum, accounting, recruiting, field trip coordinating, etc. Notice that some of these jobs can be done in non-school hours by working parents. Everybody has something to give.

This would minimize tuition or maximize funds for other uses which are more germane to the school's main purpose. Kids understand that education is important to their families. A community with a common goal is created. Parents know the parents of their kids' friends. Teachers aren't exclusively saddled with mundane tasks like photocopying and toilet scrubbing because the burden is lightened by their parent-partners.

All staff are at-will employees. They too sign annual contracts with goals each year. Each year the staff collaborates about what their strengths are and what they need help in. The staff creates a *reasonable* wish list which the administration tries to fulfill if possible. (For example, one teacher may hate coordinating field trips, could someone else do this while I engage in extra parent education seminars?) Each staff member would be absolutely passionate about education and believe in the school.

The school ager's day goes until 4 o'clock to complement the fact that the majority of kids need care until at least this time. Also summer break would be only 6 weeks to minimize the learning dump of summer. With this extra time, little kids get recess twice a day and the older kids get some p.e. everyday.

Part of the curriculum makes the students aware that they belong to a community within the school (e.g. help serving lunch occasionally) and a global community (e.g. participation in world hunger day and philanthropic projects). World languages would be introduced from the earliest ages and would not be considered an extra, but a core aspect of the curriculum. Some art and music would be sprinkled in throughout the week.

The curriculum would not be based on the traditional factory model but instead would be based in what psychological research has shown to be most conducive to learning. There would be a collaborative environment. Multiple learning styles would be accomodated. Extrinsic rewards for learning would be minimal (i.e. gold stars and graded work), especially for the younger children. Instead, the "mastery" approach would be used at this level. (The reward is accomplishing something for the sake of it, not for the reward). The curriculum would be challenging and yet accomodating. There would be minimal to no homework in the lower grades. After all, the parents have dedicated themselves to partnering in their education so they will enhance their children's education with ideals or things that they feel important: religion, museum outings, athletics, reading, family responsibilities, paper routes, whatever.

Hmmmm....I have LOTS more ideas, but here is a start.

Kelly