Follow-up to “The Perfect School”

April 26th, 2007 by Annie Dameron · No Comments

I asked parents to share their ideas of “A Perfect School” for their children, and I’d like to mention some of them.

*Choice of classes: There should be a wider choice of classes for a wider range of interests. Children need a basic education, but they also tend to do better in classes that match what they are interested in learning. Bring back music, art, and vocational education in the schools.

*More Physical education classes and health-conscious habits: Health experts warn us of an “epidemic” of obesity in today’s schools. Our “Perfect School” would include mandatory PE classes in all grades, provide healthy choices of lunch and snacks and teach our children good eating habits.

*Classroom arrangements: Instead of the traditional “desks in rows” arrangement, teachers would be freer to arrange their classes in what encourages learning (circle, groups, etc.). Parents also want smaller class sizes (one mom suggested eighteen students to a teacher. Another thought twelve was a better idea.) for more one-on-one attention.

*Not just testing, testing, testing: With No Child Left Behind, there is more of a push for accountability. If students don’t reach a certain benchmark, the teacher may lose his/her job and the school is penalized. There are other means of judging a student’s progress, such as portfolios and projects.

*Support for teachers and principals: One parent told me, “Teachers have their hands tied because of bureaucracy; they’re not teaching, they’re babysitting.” Teachers need to be supported by the community in their mission to teach our children; for many, job stress and burnout are two major reasons for leaving the profession. Mentoring programs can help them cope with the stress.

*School security:Most parents rated this as one of their top three concerns, especially with the news of the Virginia Tech shootings. “How do I know my child is safe?” a parent asked me. Suggestions for better security: metal detectors, more resource officers, random searches, crackdown on gangs, drugs and weapons.

Thanks for those on GNMParents and elsewhere who made suggestions for “The Perfect School.”

[tags]school, classrooms, size, arrangement, education, opinions, class choice, physical education, health, less testing, teacher support, administration support, security[/tags]

Photo graciously provided by Night Owl City