If you could run your own high school...

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>... how would you run it? What classes would you offer? What would it be like?</p>

<p>This is going to elicit some terribly silly responses, I know... and I know I'm being silly, too... but I'm also halfway serious. :p <--(note the emoticon) So I'll go first:</p>

<p>I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately... I'm a dreamer... and a planner and a list-maker. :D I have in fact mapped out an entire high school, the way I would operate it if I were in charge of everything. (I hope to be a dictator when I grow up. ;)) I call it my "Castle in the Sky." Some of its features:
-Agriculture courses and a student-run organic garden/farm
-PE classes--or athletic involvement--required (yeah, yeah, I know... but the idea is that all the OTHER classes--the academic classes--will be so demanding that even a PE class every single year won't make for any "light" courseloads. And physical fitness is something that's getting more and more scarce as the years go by, so it's becoming more and more crucial that somebody demands it of the coming generations...)
-The school would be for 7th-12th graders, so challenging high-school level courses are available even to younger students (I guess this would be a private school, or some kind of school where only highly capable students would attend)
-Environmental science is a graduation requirement (yes, I do have an agenda, thank you :D)
-Vocational classes are a graduation requirement (because I think everyone should have a hands-on skill)</p>

<p>Heh, heh. </p>

<p>Any other budding principal-dictators out there in CC Land?</p>

2

<p>Hmm...I would run mine like this:</p>

<p>-School would be 7-12 with a rigorous and mandatory AP program. No IB :D
-PE : mandatory unless student participates in a sport outside of school
-1 hour nap time. enough said
-6 classes (50 minutes each). Optional 7th and 8th.
-Students are exempt from finals if they attain A's in all their classes.
-Fridays are activity days. Classes will be shortened, so that at the end of the day, students can go to chosen clubs.
-All teachers must have masters degrees.
-No honors. Either AP or regular. AP gets 2 points of weighting. hehe
-Art classes are mandatory.</p>

<p>And high school credit requirements would be arranged like this:
-5 years of math (Algebra 1 begins in 7th grade)
-5 years of science (Biology begins in 7th grade)
-4 years of english (9-12)
-3 years of history (World, Euro, and US)
-1 year of government (national and state)
-1 years of economics (macro and micro)
-2 years of health
-2 years of art
-6 years of one foreign language (begins in 7th grade)</p>

<p>My school would be really harsh, but it would be better for the students :D .</p>

3

<p>It would have one student: Me. And it would be at my house. And I would be the teacher. Subjects offered would include Honors Naptime and AP Television.</p>

<p>...and there would be corporal punishment, ~.^</p>

4

<p>wow jman, five years of science? sheez...i can only think of...four atm...
physics, environmental sci, bio, chem......wat else? unless u count physical sci lol</p>

<p>but one hr nap sounds hella awesome</p>

5

<p>Hm....:</p>

<p>-Location: New York, NY
-School would start at 9AM and end at 3:45PM. Classes are 75 minutes each with 5 classes per day.
-There will be block scheduling. Classes are held MW or TTh. No friday classes.
-Students may choose to take another class from 8:10AM to 8:55AM, MTWTh.
-PE optional for juniors and seniors, twice a week required for freshmen and sophomores.
-PE slot is after school, not during school.
-Friday is an activity day. Attendance not required.
-All classes have an honors option, including electives.
-Honors weight: 0.5, IB weight: 1.0, college credit course weight: 1.0
-Large selection of courses offered, including but not limited to IBs and business and finance courses not typically offered to high school students in partnership with local universities.
-Trimester system: 3 9-week trimesters.
-Senior internship program in which seniors will intern full time for a firm of their choice, not attend school, and meet with an advisor once per week. If relocation is needed, the school and firm will jointly provide it.
-No +s and - in grading. A=4.0, B=3.0, etc etc.
-Laptop required school; preference given to macintosh computers. Apple Store on campus.
-Final exams given during a class period, no set time.
-Seniors exempt from finals during winter and spring trimesters.
-Seniors accepted ED/EA have the option of extending spring internship to january to may provided he/she has met all other graduation requirements.
-Final exams will be dropped if the student's final grade is hurt by it, at the teacher's discretion.
-All teacher syllabi must be written such that the assignment under a date is due THE NEXT CLASS.
-There may not be any more than 3 tests given to any student per day.</p>

<p>Graduation Requirement 7th-12th:
-13 trimesters of english
-13 trimesters of mathematics
-12 trimesters history (US begins 7th grade)
-1 trimester microeconomics or macroeconomics*
-9 trimesters of science or through chemistry, whichever is less**
-11 trimesters of foreign language
-2 trimesters of art
-1 courses in financial management/finance*
-1 courses in business management***
-A declared concentration and senior internship last trimester before graduation related to said concentration.
-1 trimester course in college counseling (junior year/first trimester senior year)
-1 trimester course in public speaking/communication
Total: 65 trimesters of required courses/180 total class slots available. </p>

<p><em>Economics/Business and management concentrations must take 4 courses in financial management, finish precalculus, and take 3 trimesters of microeconomics or macroeconomics. The economics credits may be used to fulfill both this requirement and history requirement.
</em>Those who choose the sciences for their IB subject choices must take 12 trimesters and finish precalculus.
**Exemption may be given if student chooses to take 2 courses in financial management/finance. Exemption given to business and management concentrations only if subconcentration is finance/financial services.</p>

<p>All IB subject choices offered.
Participation in the IB Diploma program optional.</p>

<p>I seriously don't think that requiring students to take a bunch of classes they don't want to take is effective at all. I believe in giving students the liberty to explore different subjects without the pressure of grades or anything like that. Hence the light requirements.</p>

6

<p>TWLK - You're gonna do corporal punishment on yourself? You mean suicide?</p>

7

<p>I would just have a school where students could have the opportunity to pick what courses they're reall yinterested. For me, I'd be taking three or four foreign languages, an english class, a history class, and a music class.</p>

8

<p>Hmm...I actually have thought about this too:</p>

<p>9 classes, 42 minutes each:
the basic classes, with many electives in computers, fine arts, music theory (calculated into a fine arts average, and counts as half of an academic grade)</p>

<p>people are separated through numerous days of testing (that way, a person who is sick won't be hurt by being in a lower tracK) and there are about 4 levels for each class. My school has something like this-where you can be in half honors (like for math and science) and basic for the rest. That's pretty good. The AP program would have a sort of "shadow week" where prospective students audited each course, did hw, and took tests to get a flavor. </p>

<p>Physical Education-have LOTS of options-for example, Exercise Tape, Yoga, Dance, etc. and no pegging of balls :)</p>

<p>Cafeteria-open until 5:30 afterschool (my old school had this-excellent for getting an active student body...)</p>

<p>Clear punishments (like if you're late, you have to spend double the amount of time you missed in detention)</p>

<p>No summer homework. and summer reading books (and any combination) are limited to under 1000 pages (not a crazy 3000 like my school :9)</p>

<p>Tests are adminstered at the end of each trimester, before Xmas Vacation and Easter. If a student gets an "A" in the course, he or she doesn't have to take the final.</p>

9

<p>go rent the movie "accepted"... that's what my high school would be like</p>

10

<p>will post here l8r. this thread was made 4 me!</p>

11

<p>I'd pay teachers depending on what the market would bear salary wise. No teacher's unions allowed. This way my school would probably have to shell out big bucks for math, science and computer science teachers, but not so much for humanities teachers. Teachers would not have tenure. They would be fired if their students don't like them or don't perform well on appropriate measures. Kids who were big problems would be sent elsewhere.</p>

<p>Those left at the school would be great students and would have the best teachers in each subject. </p>

<p>One can dream.</p>

12

<p>I would probably run my school... progressively.</p>

<p>No finals, kids have the freedom to study whatever they want, etc.</p>

<p>Admissions would be really selective, so only kids that would actually thrive and study with such freedom would come.</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
wow jman, five years of science? sheez...i can only think of...four atm...
physics, environmental sci, bio, chem......wat else? unless u count physical sci lol

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, it varies by school. In my county, we have Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Psychology, Earth & Space Science, and Marine Science. :D</p>

14

<p>Wow, this is great, guys! I'm so happy that I'm not the only one who has thought about this!</p>

<p>Some other things about my Castle in the Sky:</p>

<p>-School day starts at 9; there is a 1-hour lunch break, followed by one or two class periods; a break for sports and extracurricular activities in the afternoon; and then some evening classes offered.
-I guess this would be a residential high school, too, at least for some students.
-Trimester system--I think. I've tried to figure out how to have a trimester schedule that 1) ends in late May/early June (so there's not much lag time between AP testing and the end of school) and 2) doesn't have one term broken up by Christmas break. I haven't found one that works, yet. :(
-An unlimited number of independent study and homeschool courses can count towards graduation. Independent study can mean summertime study abroad or courses taken outside of the classroom with a teacher as an adviser. To qualify to earn homeschool credits, there is an application and interviews with the student and his/her parents.
-However, if a student takes more than half their courses as homeschool credits, then they... um... okay, I just thought of this one so I'm not sure what exactly the consequence is. But...
-...anybody taking any courses at the school can participate in clubs, but they must be a full-time student to turn out for a sports team.
-Homeschoolers can take courses (up to half a full courseload) at the school to supplement their homeschool curricula. These students also fill out an application and must come in for an interview, though their parents do not need to be interviewed.
-There would be opportunities for students to study abroad for one trimester at foreign language schools or in other educational programs.
-Three to four classes would be taken each trimester.
-Some PE classes would be available in the evening or before school in the morning.
-AP classes are two-trimester: the "Pre-AP" class and the "AP" class. The sequence takes place across the winter and spring trimesters. This would limit the number of APs a student can take each year to 3-4--a reasonable number (I don't want anybody killing themselves with a too-heavy courseload)--and also leave the autumn trimester with a lighter courseload, leaving time and energy to devote to college applications and maybe internships.
-Each "year" of a foreign language would comprise 2 trimesters, so first-year Spanish would be two courses: "Spanish 1a" and "Spanish 1b."
-Hands-on courses would be about subjects that isn't primarily academic and that requires a student to work with his/her hands/body to learn a productive skill. Examples: agriculture, technical theatre/stagecrafts, building construction... (Marketing would not be a vocational class, even for a student who wants to go into business. Drama would not be a vocational class, even for a student who wants to go into professional acting.)</p>

<p>I'm not sure about the math and English requirements, or how much science would be required.... but here are a few grad requirements:
-Environmental science required
-6 trimesters of one foreign language (equivalent of 3 years)
-6 trimesters of PE--one PE class per year, every year.
-3 trimesters of hands-on (vocational) training</p>

<hr>

<p>... I have actually been thinking a lot about homeschooling. PurpoisePal's post--
[quote]
I would probably run my school... progressively.</p>

<p>No finals, kids have the freedom to study whatever they want, etc.</p>

<p>Admissions would be really selective, so only kids that would actually thrive and study with such freedom would come.

[/quote]
-- sounds just like a homeschool. Like the one I was raised in... and today have been pining for. :( I definitely want to homeschool my children. Or "unschool" them, specifically--a word I just learned today! It seems to apply much more to my upbringing than "homeschool," which can mean a boxed curriculum (what a horrifying idea!) and a much more regimented sort of education than I received. Yuck.</p>

15

<p>Oh my god, this should so be a video game. Like Roller Coaster Tycoon.</p>

<p>In my fantasy high school...</p>

<p>There would be a parking garage with plenty of spots.</p>

<p>There'd be some sort of block scheduling, and school would let out early on fridays. There would be an hour for lunch, and kids can go off-campus or eat from the cafeteria.</p>

<p>It would be in Hawaii and many classes would be outdoors. If it rains, school is cancelled.</p>

<p>There'd probably be fairly loose requirements in the academic subjects. PE is required for all four years, basically so students don't overwork themselves, and fun options would be avaliable such as Yoga, rock climbing, and kickboxing as well as the sports. Two years of fine arts required as well.</p>

16

<p>Can I go to your school, Anniushka? :D</p>

17

<p>ummm lets see mines really weird but it's kinda like this...</p>

<p>I'd let kids who are more sure of what they want to do be able to have a focus instead of taking classes they don't care about.</p>

<p>only one year each of math and science required
2 years each of english and history
1 year of some sort of physical education
and then everyone has the freedom to take whatever else they want as long as they're doing something productive. No one has to take foreign language if they don't want to.
People can do all their courses as study abroad, internships, or independent study if they want.</p>

<p>Kids can be dropped from classes if they are disruptive to everyone else in the class. I always get so damn sick of being in classes with people who can't shut up.</p>

<p>yes, my school is highly unrealistic, but I just hate most core classes so my dream school has none.</p>

18

<p>My school would be a boarding school. And by boarding school, I mean a commune. We would learn the benefits of the collective and learn to love another.</p>

<p>Students either choose the humanities or sciences track. For Hum, you have to take 4 years of classes in quanitative reasoning, but it does not specifically have to be the general algebra/geometry/calculus/hard sciences rout. Sciences have to take literature courses.
Students do not have to come to class. That is their responsibility, not ours (the administration). Kids will learn w hen they want to learn.
Everyone is required to be in Model United Nations.
Everyone is required to fundraise over the summer (for credit) for any of the following men: Russ Feingold, Ralph Nader, Howard Dean, Walt Brown, Bernie Sanders. Even if they aren't even in an election. Even if they aren't even in public office.
Everything is experiential; when students read Thoreau, they go to Walden. When students learn about biblical history, we send them to Palestine.
Students are kicked out if they are found drinking, smoking, and listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
We pledge allegiance to the statue of Lenin in the middle of our commune's square.
Students must register with the Peace Corps upon college graduation. We will keep tags on them.
Mandatory classes on public policy and social reform.
Foreign language requirement, but of a non-Western language. "Useful" languages like Arabic and Chinese are not allowed. Special preference to dead languages.
Required membership of the Jack Kerouac School for Disembodied Poets.
Clothing is not required.</p>

<p>....</p>

<p>I quit.</p>

<p>....</p>

<p>Welcome to Eugene Lang!</p>

<p>....</p>

<p>This is mostly a joke.</p>

19

<p>they actually make a game called school tycoon... it could be better though.</p>

20

<p>Your school sounds sweet hemingway.</p>