Witness the final stage of public education, not previewed in a charter school:
Not that the students had to go to any of these sessions. At this school, students don't get grades, don't have homework, don't take tests, don't even have to go to class. Unless they want to.
"You can do basically anything at any time, and it's just a lot more fun because sometimes when you need a break at regular schools you can't get it," said Sophia Bennett Holmes, 12, an aspiring singer-actress-fashion designer. "But here if you just need to sit down and read and have time to play, then you can do that."
Lord of the Flies, meet hippie idealism!
Seriously, though, I think the fundamental problem with this school is one that is largely overlooked in the article. Kids need to be pushed to learn things that they don't want to learn, and this school won't do that! Learning is not always fun, and they had better start slowly learning to deal with that as they get older.
I think the school will fail to impart much of what is sorely needed ranging from critical thinking skills to any sort of strong background in the sciences. History and literature can be worked on alone by most students, but a gentle guidance is needed for technical subjects. Logic in particular is one area in which students need mentorship to constantly correct them to think properly.
The most telling point is this:
Students will soon have to meet a set of graduation "requirements," where they must present a portfolio showing proficiency in the areas such as communication, investigation and reflection.
But the definition of proficiency, like much of the school, is flexible.
Every day, I almost pick up the phone and call to apologize to my father for the money he pissed off sending me to skrool. Then I think it's probably better not to confirm his suspicions.
After seeing Vox's kid getting his own book published at six years old, I finally realized what I lost out to the public schools. Makes me sick to realize how much of my formative years I wasted like that... Hehe college was some of the only educational time well-spent for me...
Every day I fight the urge of an obsessive, compulsive, neurotic lifestyle.
Moderation.
Schooling at home, or in the public system - I'm befuddled at the lack of "moderation" not accompanying either of these choices.
Perhaps, I just don't get it ;)
Vox has spawned?
I'm afraid so. He has apparently talked a little about them in the past, with the most recent reference to them here.