Posted by Public, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2008 at 1:48 pm

In every school district across this nation there is a wealth of families willing to pay for a private education for a sundry of reasons. Most of these families have only good intentions to improve their child’s opportunities and to experience the joy in learning.

The twist is as these families leave the ‘system’ we see deterioration in the public education sector, driving even more families to the private educator. Families that would bring positive energy and the love for education and change continue to diminish. We need this demographic in our public schools.

The solution:

The States must stop this flood of resources leaving the public system and bring everybody together to make sure every generation has the chance at a superior education. I propose making public school mandatory Monday through Thursday. Fridays, holidays, and breaks can be filled with private sector education, from religious to field trips to the mountains. The public schools would remain open on Fridays for those who wish to attend the program/s offered.

Yes it is all about the kids not the money.

Just an idea, that’s all it takes for change to start…

Posted by frank, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2008 at 8:52 pm

Good idea.

I have no opinion on it but we do need people like you to think "outside the box" on this issue.

Maybe it will gain traction. Or, it may provoke someone to come up with some offshoot of this idea which does.

Posted by PToWN94566, a member of the Walnut Grove Elementary School community, on Feb 24, 2008 at 6:01 pm

I attended Sonoma State Univeristy and was studying in the educational program there called Hutchins. A big thing I noticed in this program was being in small groups and having seminar based classed. One of the classes I was required to take involved going to an elementary school and leading the reading lesson of the day. In doing so, the lessons were seminar based- children would break off itno small groups and do work together. While group work does happen in public schools, the seminar based is a bit different; exploring happens more and I have seen children love the rewards for finding out something on their own. This is a bit different than the typical public, lecture lesson, small group/worksheet papers etc.

Personally, the public educational system needs to lighten up on homework. The standards teachers have to follow can be a bit much but since it's the state who funds us, we have to do what we are told. I like that idea above of having school Monday through Thursday. But I would still make Fridays mandatory, but have it be a day field trips, or religious activities, or homework help/catch up work etc. Children don't need a 3 day weekend every week- but having some kind of day where it's more open for choice would be great

Posted by Cassaundra, a resident of the Stoneridge neighborhood, on Apr 14, 2008 at 10:37 pm

Oh my God! 1984 is coming at last. That's great. The government schools don't perform so here's a great idea to fix it, lets make everyone attend the government schools. Complete lack of competition is such a practical solution. Just look what it did for the Soviet Union. Let's not give parents a choice in how to educate their children. Only Big Brother knows how to educate your children. And why stop there, Lets ban all those pesky private colleges that are ruining our state college and university systems. Stanford, USC, Mills College, Oberlin, Harvard, MIT, Who needs 'em? We must stop this drain of resources leaving the governments system. Shut 'em down and improve the quality of higher education for all.