New School Versions: Reinventing and Reuniting School Program Structures

I have been wondering about these topics on my own for awhile now, frustrated because I have ideas, but keep coming back to the limits of the traditional school design structure. The topic doesn't really go too far beyond regular rotation or block schedules?; weekly/biweekly schedules? I won't really touch on the typical school year calendar from August to May (because I spent 8 weeks of my summer in class this year, and pretty much despised the entire concept!), but I suppose there are people who want to learn things that would best be taught in the summer...somewhere. The point is, I agree with Jacobs' mantra "form should follow instruction"- we can't keep reorganizing the contents of a package while we keep using the same sized and shaped box.

I think there are just far too few people willing to take those first drastic steps out of the box to make it actually happen, especially in the same place at the same time. But the schools that have those people, and really are kicking education up a notch, have rave results that the rest of the world ignores. Why? Is it funding? Manpower? I can imagine the vast amount of work and funding needed if we were to establish curriculum groupings other than simply age level. Certainly the change could mean bright futures for multiples of students, but at what sacrifice? Can we take the risk when plenty of students are achieving bright futures in the system we have right now anyway? Once we spend this money for an overhaul, what happens if it doesn't meet students' needs like we thought it would? I get it- I think. We're moving in that direction, but at a sickeningly slow pace because there is not enough evidence of success to outweigh the "risks." Eventually, change will have to happen, but people have to stay gutsy enough to keep pushing for it.