There are no perfect schools just as there are no completely good governments. But schools can perform better than they do today.
A school is a place that teaches subjects like math, science, language arts, and social studies. It also teaches practical skills like writing and reading. It also teaches useful habits like punctuality and respect for authority.
Education
Education is an important aspect of society and helps shape the future of each individual. It provides people with information and understanding of various subjects, such as science, math, and literature. It also helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Education can take place in both formal and informal settings.
Education has a direct impact on health and well-being. It is an essential foundation for lifelong learning, and a key to economic development. It is also the foundation for social cohesion and civic engagement.
Children without quality education face significant barriers to success in life, including lower wages and higher rates of poverty, which are linked to poor health outcomes. They are also less likely to participate in community decisions that affect them, and have a lower ability to advocate for their needs. In addition, schools that cannot attract and retain teachers are at a disadvantage. The Department of Education should work to make school staffing more flexible, and empower district leaders to adopt policies that meet local needs.
Structure
Whether in traditional classrooms or online learning environments, students need a clear structure to navigate their educational journey. A well-defined organizational structure improves accountability, communication, and collaboration to achieve academic objectives.
While the details of an organization’s structure may vary between a high school and a university, most schools have core departments and leadership roles that are consistent. A clear org chart helps everyone see how they fit into the big picture and reveals departmental interdependencies.
To stay effective, schools must regularly review and adjust their organizational structures. Using tools like surveys and job audits, HR teams can identify gaps in workflow and efficiency, then revise reporting lines and update job frameworks to ensure that the school’s people-centered structure supports its current functions. In turn, this reduces project delays and fosters a culture of transparency and openness. This also empowers people to thrive when their roles change or new initiatives arise. The result is a more adaptable, agile, and resilient institution that can respond to technological shifts, evolving student needs, and shifting funding models.
Discipline
School discipline involves the adherence to certain codes of behavior within educational settings and encompasses policies regarding classroom conduct, dress codes, and student interactions. Various methods exist to enforce discipline, from traditional corporal punishment to contemporary approaches that emphasize restorative justice and positive teacher-student relationships. Harmful discipline practices can have short and long-term negative impacts on students’ social, emotional, and academic development. Choosing the right discipline policies and practices can create safe learning environments that support students’ overall growth and well-being.
Preventive discipline focuses on establishing classroom expectations and guidelines to proactively promote positive student behavior and reduce classroom disruptions. This can include posting classroom rules, providing regular instructions on appropriate behavior through simple explanations, and using a discipline framework like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). It also includes enforcing rules with consistency. However, preventive discipline should be combined with supportive discipline and logical consequences. This is where the real power of discipline lies, ensuring that the consequences for misbehavior are meaningful and aligned with what was broken.
Community
Community schools build strong ties to families and communities by engaging them in education. They assess needs through surveys and meetings, and they capitalize on local assets. These may include the nearby university, the mechanic who coaches a soccer team, the baker who inspires a class of students to learn baking, or the city agency leaders who oversee parks, planning, public health, and workforce development.
These partnerships foster a culture of mutual support, respect and responsibility. They encourage the participation of adults in student learning by providing health services and other supports, such as nutrition and housing assistance, as well as academic tutoring and mentoring.
They also promote sharing power by identifying what barriers prevent people’s full participation and systematically removing them. The approach also cultivates leadership and relationships that facilitate greater civic involvement, so parents and community members can advocate for broader community goals or challenge negative local interventions (e.g., a toxic use of land or the demolition of a culturally significant building). They also help their students become advocates and decisionmakers in their own lives.