A different 'business model' for education?

Had a lunchtime chat at the office that focused on all the problems with education in America - specifically K-12. One of the ideas was to decentralize schooling, and use a model similar to the old cub scout den/pack model:

Have each neighborhood be the 'den' with one or two dedicated teachers and a relatively small number of students. With a small facility (equivalent to a large house really), kids could walk to school, instead of having to be bused or driven by parents. What keeps running through my head is the old west image of a k-6 school, where one teacher handled all her students in one classroom, and those kids were with her year-in, year-out Specialty subjects (foreign language, etc) could be handled by teachers who went from one 'den' to another on a schedule, so that every day, the students had a different subject being focused on.

Have the traditional school campuses be the 'pack' where kids go to participate in sports, band, and other organized activities. Likewise, have kids who need special accommodations go to such centralized schools.

Yeah, I know there will be at least eleventy-three objections to this idea. But it seems to me that it would make more sense, particularly in a society where distance learning is so accessible for college students.

Thoughts on how to fund it?

Property taxes already fund education.

My wife taught in a 1A district for 15 years. She had grades 3-5, So she had the same kids 3 years straight. And the classes were small. Also kids of all levels grouped together. Now she's in a 5A district. been there 4 years. Teaches 5th grade math only. 21 kids in each class,5 different classes. Classes are grouped by "ability" If you ask her she was able to do more with the smaller, combined group. She was easier to live with then too....

Our education system does what it’s designed to do
For a student to succeed, he or she has to be self motivated, competitive, and self reliant.
Our average education measures may be average to below average, but the top 5% of our nation will out innovate, outwork,and outsmart any other nations top 5%
The rest are worker bees
Trickle down economics

What you describe is basically the home school model in a lot of places.

It will never happen because the government will never let go of the funding they receive for public education.

cct, you speak truth about how our top 5% and then the rest play out during their lifespan.

May I ask "The Principal" if he believes in ability grouping?

You're describing rural Oklahoma in the 1950's, and before. There was a one-room, schoolhouse every 4 miles in any direction with one teacher, and around a dozen students, grades 1 through 7. Texas most likely had a similar system.

To an extent

What specific problem(s) are you wanting to fix...what is/are the objective(s)?

Thank you, will it ever happen again in our lifetime?

Doubtful. But, to an extent, we do it on our campus. All students go to their normal classes then we have a full class period where student go to different levels of intervention based on their levels. It works, we were named a Blue Ribbon School nominee for closing gaps.

Improve discipline

Improve actual substantive/academic education - the high school diploma that my dad has represents a typical liberal arts Bachelor degree nowadays.

Reduce the influence that the mass/mob psychology has on kids. Yes, the interwebs now have this effect too, but small groups/small units are better than large groups.

Reduce the likelihood of events such as school shootings or catastrophes (fire, gas line explosion) harming a large number of kids

Tell the chat group if parents would act as parents it would help the system,

Every one of them would agree with you on this point.

Thank you for taking the time to answer Uncle Zeek. Knowing specific problems being solved for helps me think through solutions being proposed. Much appreciated.

Never been a fan of local, state, and federal Goverment’s current role in adolescent education...

Congratulations. Our district had the novel idea of getting every student to take AP courses. Completely watered down the curriculum so much that the students who should be in AP did not get the advanced level of instruction needed,

Keep it up. I would like to see it more in the 4 core areas where students are split into two levels dependent on their scores and class grades. I feel this would identify learning problems quicker and close the gaps without holding the average/above average students back.

Thank you

1. Get rid of the unions in education. Teachers answer to parents.

2. Get rid of school districts. Parents have a choice as to where their kids go to school.

3. School fundings follow the kids.