The whole school (my setting would be a school) would have reading/literature at the same exact time and would be multi aged classes based on reading level.
Same with math and science, to a certain extent, multi aged based on level but I don't think would need to be scheduled at the same exact time.
Our elementary school is 1100 kids projected to get bigger and bigger with more portables. I think that is obnoxiously big. My ideal school would never be that big.
There would be a period every day for the children to explore own interests. Long before the whole genius hour trend I read about a teacher who had "work time" and she walked around conferencing individuals and groups working on all sorts of things during work time...from skits, to learning about rocks and minerals, to just reading for pleasure, to researching artists. The kids used post it notes to collect information and then would share what they were doing with the whole group.
My ideal school would have no homework other than a general pleasant request to read each day.
My ideal school would make science fair optional and if my child actually wanted to do it he would do every stinking part of it in a separate science fair class with an adult and other kids who actually like science fair. I would pay good money for that.
My ideal school....this sounds silly...but because I have multi aged kids for various classes...the kids would change classes like middle and high school kids and the kids would rarely "line up". I mean maybe that wouldn't work but dang so much time is spent on " you are not in line and quiet" that I would just eliminate it for the most part.
Oh!!!!
There would be recess for every child! My 9 year old son has no recess...I think it is a crime! The grounds would be beautiful too...my son's school has no shade trees...any shade is from a shade tarp thing that cost thousands of dollars.
And finally I don't know how this would work unless it was a private school but there would be (maybe MAP) testing at the beginning of the year and testing at the end of the year. Mid year testing would only be for kids that you actually need more information on...maybe if you think they could move up a level or having a bit of a struggle. My son is tested to Death! He spends tons of time testing, testing, testing and then the state test. Everything revolves around the testing. And the information they get for him isn't even used to make adjustments...for the lower students yes but they tell me his instructional reading level is now 9th grade (not G.E.) and it doesn't change a thing. Wow he is doing great, don't need to worry about him on "the test".
He is going to finish elementary school next year there and then I guess the ideal environment IMO for him will be homeschool.
