Notes on "Schools for the Future":

• Full of "motherhood and apple pie". We believe in quality programming...
• Doesn't raise issues but starts with a pre-conceived set of beliefs. This narrows the debate and may lead to the strategic plan discussions being only about implementation details.
• Choice and Community Schools: What is a community? Is it only geographically based?
• English, EFI and MFI given special status over Alternative.
• "education should be delivered in the home classroom or home school when it meets a student’s needs." How is "need" defined? In the supposed balance between choice and community schools, it appears that choice is a poor cousin.
• Removal of middle schools. If one transition is better than two, why not zero (JK-12)? What are the benefits of separating by ages? If there are benefits, how do we determine the right number of transitions? Is the move to one transition based on any empirical analysis?
• Since education goes in cycles (whole language, phonics, back to basics, soft skills), is it prudent to design buildings specifically to today's education flavour of the month (i.e. technology)?