Debi Gooding's Digital Portfoilo

 
Debi Gooding
June 2010

School Design Plan

I have been in the Charter school world for 10 years. I have worked most of this time with homeschoolers. I have seen a huge change in the needs of students and parents. This is what prompted me to design a school with these needs in place. Many parents who home school, home school because they want a say in their child’s education, but need more assistance in educating. So with this in mind I would like to have the option of home schooling with a traditional classroom option. 

This school would be grades K-8 only. Parents would have two options:
1) Homeschooling full time or 2) Classroom option up to 3 days a week.  Option 1 Students and parents would be assigned with a credentialed teacher. They would come every 20 school days to present work and set goals for the following learning period. Teachers would then validate attendance and the learning taking place. These students will still have to come in for state testing in the spring. The parents will be able to choose curriculum and have extra curricular units. The 70 units allotted could be for extra curricular classes or for classes on site. These students will have the option to attend once a week for classes in core and enrichment.

Option 2 will be more classroom based. Kinder Students will attend twice a week from 8:30-12:00 or 11:00-2:30. Students of grades 1-3 will attend twice a week from 8:30-2:30 and would have instruction in all core subjects. Parents would not have choice in curriculum with this option. They would also have the option of one-on-one tutoring on off days if needed. 

Students of grades 4-5 would come 3 days a week. They would have instruction from 8:30-2:30 in core subjects. Parents would not have choice in curriculum with this option. They would have the option of one-on-one tutoring or group tutoring on off days if needed. 

Students of grades 6-8 would come 3 days a week. They would have instruction from 9:00-3:30 in core subjects. Parents would not have choice in curriculum with this option. A 4th day would be another opportunity for students for elective classes such as; Spanish, art, music, sports, tutoring, etc… 

Classes would be small and if needed could be multi-level. Kinder will have no more than 13 students per class with a half hour overlap for lunch and recess. 1-3 grades will have no more that 20 students per class. 4-8 grades will have no more then 28 students per class.

School will be closed on Mondays for school assemblies, field trips or school events for all students regardless of the track they have chosen. All students will participate in state testing yearly.

I feel this would be a good opportunity for parents that still would like to home school but feel that they need that extra help.
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