The Best Schools Make Decisions Based on the Needs and Passions of the Students, Not on the Interests and Traditions of the Adults.

Master schedules, teaching assignments, planning periods, grading practices, bell schedules, student seating arrangements, and a host of other decisions have to be made in the life of a school. In great schools, these decisions are not driven by convenience for the adults but by the needs of the students. What is best for the students? That is what we need to be doing. That is the question that should drive every decision. Great schools determine what is best for the students, and then they figure out how to make it happen. Sometimes it involves stepping outside of their comfort zone. Sometimes it involves thinking outside of the traditional schedule. Sometimes it requires creative problem solving. But the best schools find a way to make it happen.