School Plan

The student body is split into twenty rooms. Teachers stay with their class through the students
tenure, moving up with them each year, rotating as classes graduate. In each year, students are
split between four groups based on patterns (Stars, Stripes, Spots, and Spirals) (5 classes each
into 4 teams is 20. Referred to by number and team e.g. 3-Star) This grouping encourages
community, cooperation, and competition between the grades. Siblings in different grades are put
into different groups if possible
Teachers offices are also split by year, with each year having a Math, Science, Language Arts,
and Social Studies specialist. That specialist will design the lesson for that core class, and the
other teachers will execute it. This way, each teacher is only required to focus on one aspect of
the curriculum, while also keeping all students on track. (Keeping the teachers a step removed
from the pattern groups is one more advantage.)
The day is divided into three parts, beginning middle and end. The beginning and end are
functionally similar. They each have 2 core class. The middle is divided into 4 periods, Recess,
Lunch, EXTRA and SLS.
EXTRA varies by day, between:
-Reading (kids bring or requests types of books to read ahead of time)
-Art (drawing, sculpting, appreciation)
-Music (listening, performing, singing)
-Counseling (time dedicated to resolve lasting conflicts between students and teachers)
-P.E.
SLS represents Secondary Language Studies, and each week a specialist comes into the class and
gives a project for the specific teacher to execute independently in that period until the next
weeks meeting (for the first week, before a week long plan is established, the teacher is free to
use this time as they please). There are 5 specialists, and each one follows their class as they
graduate, similarly to the teachers. Specialists are not assigned to patterned groups.
While they could prepare the lesson for the teacher ahead of time, as the office groups are
intended to do, this approach only wastes a net total of 6 periods split between three patterned
groups but carries the benefit of introducing the student to their SLS specialist in case they have
questions or need help outside of school. Pragmatically, it also carries a bit of a buffer. That is, if
something goes wrong with the lesson, mistakes can be caught before the content is introduced to
everyone.
The pattern groups are separated based on their original language. (e.g. Star group has Spanish
speakers. Stripe group has Mandarin speakers. Spot group has Polish speakers. Spiral group has
Welsh speakers) However, that does not mean the SLS courses are just those languages (the
specialists are not group specific remind), rather they are classes designed to introduce and

reinforce skills necessary to acquire and retain language skills in their academic career. The
reason they are separated like this is so that students at higher levels of proficiency have the
opportunity to assist their classmates. That is not to say those students have a responsibility to or
would be asked to by faculty, it is just a bit of optimization.
Parents would be included only insomuch as is standard in schools now. Quarterly meetings if
necessary, more frequent by request. Language barriers will be dealt with using technology, and
if necessary/possible through a teacher or administrator who can speak the language.
Education will be English only. Three strategies to be used most heavily are:
-The SIOP model (as described by our book) specifically with a focus on concrete
examples and demonstrations. When teachers prepare their lessons for each other, they
will be expected to come up with multiple instances as part of the lesson (not just in case
a student asks, examples should flow through the demonstration.)
-Minimal standardized testing, formative assessment will be done via homework and in
class observation (as demonstrated by the Finnish education system). Summative
assessments will be administered solely at the teachers discretion, and in the case of
district/state/national requirements, which short of being a private school, I believe are
mandatory and failure to comply may result in legal action or termination on my part..
-Minimal administrative interference, within this system, the teachers will (hopefully)
develop a report with their students. That is the purpose behind the teachers following
them through the grades, and being the ones through which departmental lessons are
filtered. By cutting out overhead, efficiency of curricular implementation can hopefully
be improved. Ideally teachers will not be evaluated on performance more than quarterly.
(below source)

Sahlberg, P. (2011). Lessons from finland. The Education Digest, 77(3), 18-24. Retrieved from
http://rose.scranton.edu.ezp.scranton.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezp.scranton
.edu/docview/900869088?accountid=28588