If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like?

Orphia Nay · 12th December 2019, 01:07 AM

Bob001 · 12th December 2019, 03:20 AM

Originally Posted by Orphia Nay

If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like?

What does this even mean? For what ages? For what purpose? And are you talking about physical design, or curriculum, or teacher qualifications, or student-teacher ratios, or what?

Sideroxylon · 12th December 2019, 03:27 AM

Originally Posted by Bob001

What does this even mean? For what ages? For what purpose? And are you talking about physical design, or curriculum, or teacher qualifications, or student-teacher ratios, or what?

As you have astutely observed the question lacks such constants. We might thereby infer an authorial intent of seeking responses that include all, none or more of your own suggestions.

Its not a ******* university essay.

cullennz · 12th December 2019, 03:37 AM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

As you have astutely observed the question lacks such constants. We might thereby infer an authorial intent of seeking responses that include all, none or more of your own suggestions.

Its not a ******* university essay.

Pretty dumb question though tbf

Sideroxylon · 12th December 2019, 04:01 AM

It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs.

The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

cullennz · 12th December 2019, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs.

The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

And all the teachers could have indepth interviews, with students asking little kids "Are you sure you you know what gender you are"

Have you tried wearing a skirt?

Sideroxylon · 12th December 2019, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by cullennz

And all the teachers could have indepth interviews, with students asking little kids "Are you sure you you know what gender you are"

Have you tried wearing a skirt?

Not interested in your sick fantasies.

Porpoise of Life · 12th December 2019, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs.

The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

Sounds good to me...

BobTheCoward · 12th December 2019, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs.

The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

Taxation is theft.

TragicMonkey · 12th December 2019, 05:59 AM

Walls, windows, roof, floor. Well-insulated as it's difficult to pay attention when it's freezing cold indoors. Chairs and desks, possibly those combo chairs with a desk on it.

theprestige · 12th December 2019, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

Walls, windows, roof, floor. Well-insulated as it's difficult to pay attention when it's freezing cold indoors. Chairs and desks, possibly those combo chairs with a desk on it.

Also well ventilated, as it's difficult to pay attention when it's stuffy and hot indoors.

Now that I think about it, optimal HVAC might be one of my top school design priorities.

sphenisc · 12th December 2019, 06:21 AM

It would predominantly consist of big-eye jacks, tuna and cobia over a reef with squirrelfish and rainbow runners. Around the edge would be yellowtail barracuda and a single white-tip reef shark.

calebprime · 12th December 2019, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by sphenisc

It would predominantly consist of big-eye jacks, tuna and cobia over a reef with squirrelfish and rainbow runners. Around the edge would be yellowtail barracuda and a single white-tip reef shark.

flickering as they all turn together instantly in the light, except for the shark which is asleep and swaying in the current on the bottom

Porpoise of Life · 12th December 2019, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by BobTheCoward

Taxation is theft.

Keep religion out of our utopian schools.

P.J. Denyer · 12th December 2019, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs.

The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

Sounds good. Could it also have no need for active shooter drills or corridors designed to reduce line of fire distances?

mgidm86 · 12th December 2019, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Orphia Nay

If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like?

Well when I was in high school I'd have been pleased if my school had burned to the ground (while empty), so my answer is **** schools. Free soda and joint machines, free notes to get out of class maybe....nah just burn it down.

rjh01 · 12th December 2019, 07:59 PM

Students have to do a huge amount of reading and note taking. This would be done via computers. Most of the work would be self paced. However it would be noted if a student was behind on any one subject. The student / teacher ratio would be high, but they are the best society can provide. The hours would be long, but they would have frequent short breaks. In some of these, physical exercise would be done. In others they would have power naps.

Relationship skills would be taught, both theory and in practice.

Brainster · 13th December 2019, 01:29 AM

I would go for something like the Coursera model, with the best teachers in the world giving video lectures, with autograded quizzes that must be passed at a certain level in order to progress. Kids would not have to attend classes per se, although you would want some group activities to allow for normal socialization--things like art classes or phys ed. Teachers would be more like tutors; available on call to help students who need some assistance with the material, but no longer forced to ride herd over 20-30 rambunctious youngsters at a time.

Orphia Nay · 13th December 2019, 02:33 AM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs.

The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

I love you, Sidey.

Originally Posted by BobTheCoward

Taxation is theft.

Yay, another supporter of a healthy UBS!

Originally Posted by Porpoise of Life

Keep religion out of our utopian schools.

Thanks for taking this up a notch!

Originally Posted by Brainster

I would go for something like the Coursera model, with the best teachers in the world giving video lectures, with autograded quizzes that must be passed at a certain level in order to progress. Kids would not have to attend classes per se, although you would want some group activities to allow for normal socialization--things like art classes or phys ed. Teachers would be more like tutors; available on call to help students who need some assistance with the material, but no longer forced to ride herd over 20-30 rambunctious youngsters at a time.

I love you, Brainster.

I’ll spare you all a rambling lecture today involving a Romany gypsy, LPs, a crazy old man who dares to sing in public, and his fearful alcoholic mother, a man sourcing medicinal cannabis crop growers, and telling the local nursery about planting a plum tree in a front yard.

Sideroxylon · 13th December 2019, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by BobTheCoward

Taxation is theft.

That reminds me. Nineteen eighty-four on the reading lists.

Samson · 13th December 2019, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by Orphia Nay

If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like?

I think start with the known knowns. The equations leading back to the singularity of the big soundless event. The kids would be deeply fascinated, then add the layers up to the origin of life, Descartes and what he thought.
Also phonetics and arithmetic.

a_unique_person · 13th December 2019, 04:23 AM

Teachers. A building can't be a school without teachers. They are incredibly undervalued.

cullennz · 13th December 2019, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by a_unique_person

Teachers. A building can't be a school without teachers. They are incredibly undervalued.

Totally agree, but would add "quality" to teachers in an ideal scenario.

Nothing better than an excellent teacher for a kids upbringing, nothing worse than a bad one.

Here both get paid the same. Have to love the unions.

Meadmaker · 13th December 2019, 04:55 AM

Do I have to be realistic?

Assuming yes, I'm going to go with how I would design a typical public high school. And it would look a lot like a typical public high school, except it would do away with the centuries old lecture/homework model and go with the "reversed" model, in which students watch online lectures for homework, and use their time in class to complete assignments with help from the teachers. This is something like what brainster said, but a little bit closer to a traditional model. Students would still take classes, get grades, and be tested. For certain topics, there would be some traditional classroom style activities, like discussion of history or literature.

They would be indoctrinated in a culture that values learning, knowledge, and the scientific method, but not in any other ideology.

It would have mandatory athletic participation, somewhat like old fashioned P.E. classes, but with a little bit less team sports than we did back in the day, and more emphasis on health and fitness.

TragicMonkey · 13th December 2019, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by cullennz

Totally agree, but would add "quality" to teachers in an ideal scenario.

Nothing better than an excellent teacher for a kids upbringing, nothing worse than a bad one.

Here both get paid the same. Have to love the unions.

Teachers unions aren't the sole blame for bad teachers. I had some extraordinarily dreadful teachers in states where there weren't any teachers unions. The root source of the problem is deeper than unionization.

Cavemonster · 13th December 2019, 06:29 AM

I could go on and on.

But a good place to start might be looking at how schools get paid for.

The town/city property tax model leaves a damned near dystopian level of inequality. Where I live, they carved out the wealthiest chunk of the city some time back as its own tiny "town". Now, that town has the highest income in the immediate area and very good schools. Cross to a block over and the city schools are rated far lower, with many serious problems. When rich people can't form a separate district, they take over schoolboards and whatever other local government they need and slash school spending and taxes to the bone. Then they either send their kids to private school or they prop up the schools in their neighborhood with PTA funding, essentially creating their own funding district.

The current model seems to just deepen class divides and stagnation. And because income, location and race/ethnicity have so much correlation, it's statistically the same groups who end up underserved by schools. Of course money isn't the only problem. We're not going to fix schools by only throwing money at them. But those resources are a baseline for success. The ability to attract and retain good teachers. Simple facilities and resources matter. I worked a bit in a title 1 school that didn't even have working water fountains (among many other serious deficits).

Distracted1 · 13th December 2019, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by BobTheCoward

Taxation is theft.

As is property.

TragicMonkey · 13th December 2019, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by Cavemonster

I could go on and on.

But a good place to start might be looking at how schools get paid for.

The town/city property tax model leaves a damned near dystopian level of inequality. Where I live, they carved out the wealthiest chunk of the city some time back as its own tiny "town". Now, that town has the highest income in the immediate area and very good schools. Cross to a block over and the city schools are rated far lower, with many serious problems. When rich people can't form a separate district, they take over schoolboards and whatever other local government they need and slash school spending and taxes to the bone. Then they either send their kids to private school or they prop up the schools in their neighborhood with PTA funding, essentially creating their own funding district.

The current model seems to just deepen class divides and stagnation. And because income, location and race/ethnicity have so much correlation, it's statistically the same groups who end up underserved by schools. Of course money isn't the only problem. We're not going to fix schools by only throwing money at them. But those resources are a baseline for success. The ability to attract and retain good teachers. Simple facilities and resources matter. I worked a bit in a title 1 school that didn't even have working water fountains (among many other serious deficits).

Amen. My family moved a lot so I went to a bunch of schools in a bunch of states. My parents always tried to get a house in the attendance zone of the good schools, but sometimes they misfired. The most glaring example of stark class difference was my junior high, which included students from the attendance zone of two different high schools. You could tell at a glance which kid in my junior high would be going to the good high school and which the bad. Did the kid have a decent winter coat, new school supplies, and lunch every day? Good high school. Did the kid wear handed down clothes, a duct-taped binder, and no braces? Crap high school.

The good high school had lots of AP classes and high test scores and most of the kids graduated on time and went on to college. The bad high school had low everything except the dropout rate and drug arrests.

Which side of the highway their parents could afford a house on made a huge difference to the lives of their kids.

12th December 2019, 01:07 AM	#1
Orphia Nay Penguilicious Spodmaster. Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables). Posts: 38,591	If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like? If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like?
	__________________ "We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift".

12th December 2019, 03:37 AM	#4
cullennz Embarrasingly illiterate Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 19,730	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon As you have astutely observed the question lacks such constants. We might thereby infer an authorial intent of seeking responses that include all, none or more of your own suggestions. Its not a ******* university essay. Pretty dumb question though tbf
	__________________ "I mean, you've got the first sort of mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a story-book, man," Biden said. 2007 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16911044

12th December 2019, 04:12 AM	#6
cullennz Embarrasingly illiterate Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 19,730	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs. The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it. And all the teachers could have indepth interviews, with students asking little kids "Are you sure you you know what gender you are" Have you tried wearing a skirt?
	__________________ "I mean, you've got the first sort of mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a story-book, man," Biden said. 2007 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16911044

12th December 2019, 05:59 AM	#10
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,942	Walls, windows, roof, floor. Well-insulated as it's difficult to pay attention when it's freezing cold indoors. Chairs and desks, possibly those combo chairs with a desk on it.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

12th December 2019, 06:21 AM	#12
sphenisc Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,363	It would predominantly consist of big-eye jacks, tuna and cobia over a reef with squirrelfish and rainbow runners. Around the edge would be yellowtail barracuda and a single white-tip reef shark.
sphenisc Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,363	__________________ "The cure for everything is salt water - tears, sweat or the sea." Isak Dinesen

12th December 2019, 03:20 AM	#2
Bob001 Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: US of A Posts: 12,371	Originally Posted by Orphia Nay If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like? What does this even mean? For what ages? For what purpose? And are you talking about physical design, or curriculum, or teacher qualifications, or student-teacher ratios, or what?

12th December 2019, 03:27 AM	#3
Sideroxylon Featherless biped Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aporia Posts: 24,129	Originally Posted by Bob001 What does this even mean? For what ages? For what purpose? And are you talking about physical design, or curriculum, or teacher qualifications, or student-teacher ratios, or what? As you have astutely observed the question lacks such constants. We might thereby infer an authorial intent of seeking responses that include all, none or more of your own suggestions. Its not a ******* university essay.

12th December 2019, 04:01 AM	#5
Sideroxylon Featherless biped Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aporia Posts: 24,129	It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs. The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it.

12th December 2019, 04:16 AM	#7
Sideroxylon Featherless biped Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aporia Posts: 24,129	Originally Posted by cullennz And all the teachers could have indepth interviews, with students asking little kids "Are you sure you you know what gender you are" Have you tried wearing a skirt? Not interested in your sick fantasies.

12th December 2019, 05:33 AM	#8
Porpoise of Life Illuminator Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 4,950	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs. The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it. Sounds good to me...

12th December 2019, 05:56 AM	#9
BobTheCoward Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 20,162	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs. The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it. Taxation is theft.

12th December 2019, 06:16 AM	#11
theprestige Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 48,599	Originally Posted by TragicMonkey Walls, windows, roof, floor. Well-insulated as it's difficult to pay attention when it's freezing cold indoors. Chairs and desks, possibly those combo chairs with a desk on it. Also well ventilated, as it's difficult to pay attention when it's stuffy and hot indoors. Now that I think about it, optimal HVAC might be one of my top school design priorities.

12th December 2019, 06:35 AM	#13
calebprime Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 13,001	Originally Posted by sphenisc It would predominantly consist of big-eye jacks, tuna and cobia over a reef with squirrelfish and rainbow runners. Around the edge would be yellowtail barracuda and a single white-tip reef shark. flickering as they all turn together instantly in the light, except for the shark which is asleep and swaying in the current on the bottom

12th December 2019, 07:34 AM	#14
Porpoise of Life Illuminator Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 4,950	Originally Posted by BobTheCoward Taxation is theft. Keep religion out of our utopian schools.

12th December 2019, 02:58 PM	#15
P.J. Denyer Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 7,724	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs. The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all **** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it. Sounds good. Could it also have no need for active shooter drills or corridors designed to reduce line of fire distances?
P.J. Denyer Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 7,724	__________________ "I know my brain cannot tell me what to think." - Scorpion "Nebulous means Nebulous" - Adam Hills

12th December 2019, 03:40 PM	#16
mgidm86 Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,983	Originally Posted by Orphia Nay If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like? Well when I was in high school I'd have been pleased if my school had burned to the ground (while empty), so my answer is **** schools. Free soda and joint machines, free notes to get out of class maybe....nah just burn it down.
mgidm86 Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,983	__________________ Franklin understands certain kickbacks you obtain unfairly are legal liabilities; however, a risky deed's almost never detrimental despite extra external pressures.

12th December 2019, 07:59 PM	#17
rjh01 Gentleman of leisure Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Flying around in the sky Posts: 26,410	Students have to do a huge amount of reading and note taking. This would be done via computers. Most of the work would be self paced. However it would be noted if a student was behind on any one subject. The student / teacher ratio would be high, but they are the best society can provide. The hours would be long, but they would have frequent short breaks. In some of these, physical exercise would be done. In others they would have power naps. Relationship skills would be taught, both theory and in practice.
	__________________ This signature is for rent.

13th December 2019, 01:29 AM	#18
Brainster Penultimate Amazing Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 18,162	I would go for something like the Coursera model, with the best teachers in the world giving video lectures, with autograded quizzes that must be passed at a certain level in order to progress. Kids would not have to attend classes per se, although you would want some group activities to allow for normal socialization--things like art classes or phys ed. Teachers would be more like tutors; available on call to help students who need some assistance with the material, but no longer forced to ride herd over 20-30 rambunctious youngsters at a time.
	__________________ My new blog: Recent Reads. 1960s Comic Book Nostalgia Visit the Screw Loose Change blog. Last edited by Brainster; 13th December 2019 at 01:30 AM.

13th December 2019, 02:33 AM	#19
Orphia Nay Penguilicious Spodmaster. Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables). Posts: 38,591	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon It would be well funded by the government, owned and run by the state. The teachers would be well paid and the classrooms would not be ten-year old temporary buildings. The curriculum, pedagogy and layout would be based on best evidence based understandings. Lunches would be nutritious and free, while catering to diverse dietary needs. The kids would be indoctrinated into a culture of accepting and embracing diversity and fairness. It would be as PC as all ** with unisex toilets and no uniforms. A right boomer nightmare. And billionaires would pay for it all with their taxes and be happy about it. I love you, Sidey. Originally Posted by BobTheCoward Taxation is theft. Yay, another supporter of a healthy UBS! Originally Posted by Porpoise of Life Keep religion out of our utopian schools. Thanks for taking this up a notch! Originally Posted by Brainster** I would go for something like the Coursera model, with the best teachers in the world giving video lectures, with autograded quizzes that must be passed at a certain level in order to progress. Kids would not have to attend classes per se, although you would want some group activities to allow for normal socialization--things like art classes or phys ed. Teachers would be more like tutors; available on call to help students who need some assistance with the material, but no longer forced to ride herd over 20-30 rambunctious youngsters at a time. I love you, Brainster. I’ll spare you all a rambling lecture today involving a Romany gypsy, LPs, a crazy old man who dares to sing in public, and his fearful alcoholic mother, a man sourcing medicinal cannabis crop growers, and telling the local nursery about planting a plum tree in a front yard.
	__________________ "We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift". Last edited by Orphia Nay; 13th December 2019 at 02:37 AM.

13th December 2019, 02:48 AM	#20
Sideroxylon Featherless biped Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aporia Posts: 24,129	Originally Posted by BobTheCoward Taxation is theft. That reminds me. Nineteen eighty-four on the reading lists.

13th December 2019, 03:05 AM	#21
Samson Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 9,259	Originally Posted by Orphia Nay If you could design a school, what would you want it to be like? I think start with the known knowns. The equations leading back to the singularity of the big soundless event. The kids would be deeply fascinated, then add the layers up to the origin of life, Descartes and what he thought. Also phonetics and arithmetic.
Samson Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 9,259

13th December 2019, 04:23 AM	#22
a_unique_person Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open. Posts: 42,986	Teachers. A building can't be a school without teachers. They are incredibly undervalued.
	__________________ *Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity.* Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos

13th December 2019, 04:30 AM	#23
cullennz Embarrasingly illiterate Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 19,730	Originally Posted by a_unique_person Teachers. A building can't be a school without teachers. They are incredibly undervalued. Totally agree, but would add "quality" to teachers in an ideal scenario. Nothing better than an excellent teacher for a kids upbringing, nothing worse than a bad one. Here both get paid the same. Have to love the unions.
	__________________ "I mean, you've got the first sort of mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a story-book, man," Biden said. 2007 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16911044

13th December 2019, 04:55 AM	#24
Meadmaker Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 24,807	Do I have to be realistic? Assuming yes, I'm going to go with how I would design a typical public high school. And it would look a lot like a typical public high school, except it would do away with the centuries old lecture/homework model and go with the "reversed" model, in which students watch online lectures for homework, and use their time in class to complete assignments with help from the teachers. This is something like what brainster said, but a little bit closer to a traditional model. Students would still take classes, get grades, and be tested. For certain topics, there would be some traditional classroom style activities, like discussion of history or literature. They would be indoctrinated in a culture that values learning, knowledge, and the scientific method, but not in any other ideology. It would have mandatory athletic participation, somewhat like old fashioned P.E. classes, but with a little bit less team sports than we did back in the day, and more emphasis on health and fitness.

13th December 2019, 05:41 AM	#25
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,942	Originally Posted by cullennz Totally agree, but would add "quality" to teachers in an ideal scenario. Nothing better than an excellent teacher for a kids upbringing, nothing worse than a bad one. Here both get paid the same. Have to love the unions. Teachers unions aren't the sole blame for bad teachers. I had some extraordinarily dreadful teachers in states where there weren't any teachers unions. The root source of the problem is deeper than unionization.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

13th December 2019, 06:29 AM	#26
Cavemonster Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,252	I could go on and on. But a good place to start might be looking at how schools get paid for. The town/city property tax model leaves a damned near dystopian level of inequality. Where I live, they carved out the wealthiest chunk of the city some time back as its own tiny "town". Now, that town has the highest income in the immediate area and very good schools. Cross to a block over and the city schools are rated far lower, with many serious problems. When rich people can't form a separate district, they take over schoolboards and whatever other local government they need and slash school spending and taxes to the bone. Then they either send their kids to private school or they prop up the schools in their neighborhood with PTA funding, essentially creating their own funding district. The current model seems to just deepen class divides and stagnation. And because income, location and race/ethnicity have so much correlation, it's statistically the same groups who end up underserved by schools. Of course money isn't the only problem. We're not going to fix schools by only throwing money at them. But those resources are a baseline for success. The ability to attract and retain good teachers. Simple facilities and resources matter. I worked a bit in a title 1 school that didn't even have working water fountains (among many other serious deficits).
Cavemonster Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,252	__________________ The weakness of all Utopias is this, ... They first assume that no man will want more than his share, and then are very ingenious in explaining whether his share will be delivered by motorcar or balloon. -G.K. CHESTERTON

13th December 2019, 06:44 AM	#27
Distracted1 Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 5,199	Originally Posted by BobTheCoward Taxation is theft. As is property.
	__________________ The man with one watch knows what time it is, the man with two watches is never sure.

13th December 2019, 06:49 AM	#28
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,942	Originally Posted by Cavemonster I could go on and on. But a good place to start might be looking at how schools get paid for. The town/city property tax model leaves a damned near dystopian level of inequality. Where I live, they carved out the wealthiest chunk of the city some time back as its own tiny "town". Now, that town has the highest income in the immediate area and very good schools. Cross to a block over and the city schools are rated far lower, with many serious problems. When rich people can't form a separate district, they take over schoolboards and whatever other local government they need and slash school spending and taxes to the bone. Then they either send their kids to private school or they prop up the schools in their neighborhood with PTA funding, essentially creating their own funding district. The current model seems to just deepen class divides and stagnation. And because income, location and race/ethnicity have so much correlation, it's statistically the same groups who end up underserved by schools. Of course money isn't the only problem. We're not going to fix schools by only throwing money at them. But those resources are a baseline for success. The ability to attract and retain good teachers. Simple facilities and resources matter. I worked a bit in a title 1 school that didn't even have working water fountains (among many other serious deficits). Amen. My family moved a lot so I went to a bunch of schools in a bunch of states. My parents always tried to get a house in the attendance zone of the good schools, but sometimes they misfired. The most glaring example of stark class difference was my junior high, which included students from the attendance zone of two different high schools. You could tell at a glance which kid in my junior high would be going to the good high school and which the bad. Did the kid have a decent winter coat, new school supplies, and lunch every day? Good high school. Did the kid wear handed down clothes, a duct-taped binder, and no braces? Crap high school. The good high school had lots of AP classes and high test scores and most of the kids graduated on time and went on to college. The bad high school had low everything except the dropout rate and drug arrests. Which side of the highway their parents could afford a house on made a huge difference to the lives of their kids.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.