What would happen if students were assigned to create their own school?

In a recent article from the Hechinger Report, students were tasked with creating their own school at Brooklyn Lab Charter School in New York. The students showed great interest in the project. When they came back with their completed assignment, students had many fun and creative ideas.

For example, some would add more outside activity, there would be no more standard exams, more computers, and they would travel to class with hoverboards. There were also questions about college and if it is possible to get a head start.

What  would happen if CK students were asked to create their own school? Would they do away with tests and have segways to get around the school? What would they change or get rid of?

When asked what she would add to her school, junior Aisha Melendez-Otero said, “I would add a block schedule, because it is more organized.” A block schedule consists of students having seven classes and a seminar. The schedule would be divided into an A/B schedule. Students would attend four classes one day (A day), and the other three classes with the seminar, on the other day (B day). Seminar is when students can go around to their teachers and ask for help, or they could take the time to do homework. In this schedule, the classes would be longer, and students would have more time to get work done for a class.

In freshman Brittany Kwon’s school, she said, “I would add a later start.” In an article written by the BBC, sleep scientists say that schools should start later. In the article, Dr. Paul Kelley says that young and older people are not equipped to getting up early. The article quotes Kelley saying, “‘So we’ve got a sleep deprived society – it’s just that this age group, say 14-24 in particular is more deprived than any other sector.”