10 Characteristics of a Good School

What do you think of the following 10 characteristics of good schools (according to Bill Ayers, Teaching the Personal and the Political)?

1. A Good School is Lived in the Present Tense

2. A Good School is a Workshop for Inventors

3. A Good School is Fearless

4. A Good School Honors Diversity

5. In a Good School There are High Standards and Expectations for All

6. In a Good School Adults Tell Children the Truth

7. A Good School is an Intimate Community Where Children Find Unconditional Acceptance

8. A Good School is a Thoughtful Place that Honors the Thinking and the work of Teachers and Students

9. A Good School is Simple, Dark, and Deep

10. A Good School is a Place Where People Make a Difference

I’d add that a good school is a place where everyone has opportunities to learn – students, teachers, staff, parents, administrators, etc. – and where learning is valued, where the cultivation of wisdom and reflection is encouraged, and where questioning and curiosity rule the day . . . oh . . . and where laughter and mistakes go hand in hand . . . and where we bring the outside in, where we draw on experts from around the world, and where we encourage self-directed learning . . . thoughtful technology integration is seamless . . . and is about solving real-world problems.

Do you have anything to add or change?

2 thoughts on “10 Characteristics of a Good School

  1. A good school in present times should inculcate values in children apart from academics.
    A place where everyone is a learner:the students, the teachers,the principal and the admin, where learning is encoraged and appreciated.A place which a parent can look upto for his child.

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