Of course, first we must all agree that utopia means that we don’t have to worry about silly little things like money and resources.  I’m just throwing out there what I think would make it perfect.

Classes of no more than 16 students and no less than 12 students

In classes of this size, I have plenty of opportunity to give constructive feedback and truly get to know every single student.  I have enough students for a variety of conversations and ability levels so that we can work together to complete projects.

Classes go 9  hours Monday-Thursday

Extra curricular practices can go no longer than one hour before or one hour after school.  (Yes, they can still have a class during the school day.  I’ll get there.).  As often as possible, all extracurricular time out of school for competitions should be on Fridays.  Friday can also be used for makeups if necessary.

School is year round at nine week increments with three week breaks each nine weeks. 

During those three week breaks we offer remediation to students who were unsuccessful during the nine weeks and extension activities for those who want more learning.  You STILL don’t really understand how to solve for “x”?   Let’s give you some more time to work on that IMMEDIATELY.  Geology your thing?  It’s time for wild cave exploration and spelunking.  Are you interested in space exploration?  Time to go to NASA. Of course, parent led extensions and plain old vacations are also allowed.

The ONLY required classes are grammar/writing; math facts and skills; reading in content areas; math in the real world (this includes interest rates, chemistry, engineering); state, federal,  international government, culture and religion; and (high school only)–independent or group study.  All required subjects meet for an hour a day, every day. The duration of every elective is nine weeks. Meeting times and days of the week vary based on the elective.

EVERYTHING else is elective… and we have A LOT of electives.  Let’s say in your “reading in the content area” class you read an article about how Edison invented the light bulb, and you find it fascinating.  Next nine weeks you take a class in electrical engineering. Your culture class has you interested in Chinese/American foreign relations?  Take an intensive Mandarin course. Let’s say you were reading about how a certain plant may cure Alzheimer’s, you now have botany for the next nine weeks. And if baseball is your life…  take your baseball elective. Dance classes, art classes, music classes, health classes… . they are all encouraged and showcased, and kids can focus on as much as they want of any of those in their remaining five hours a day.  After all, they only have four required hours of classes.

All students are provided with the same laptop/ tablet.  No other electronics are accessible during class except for those needed for that class and that class period.

Even students know they are far too distracted by their devices during class.  This will keep them on task.

Yes, yes… “How do we fund this? ”  “Who is going to organize and supervise those three week extension activities?”  “Who is doing the remediation?”  “How do we decide what electives?” “How do we find qualified teachers for all of these things?”

I agree… that’s why I called it utopia.  This is just my educational vision.  Now, if we agree this is how education should look, how do we make it happen?