good article

A good article with much sense to it that homeschoolers know first-hand in the NY Times.  Add food, clean air and outdoor play, and, well, you approach what a system that was humane and smart would start looking like.  Stop grading of all kinds until the upper years when students can choose to build skills and/or portfolio of work.  Oral/written and deatiled evaluations and let teachers focus on the kids.  If bean counters somewhere have to give a standardized test from time to time for internal monitoring or fairness, a reluctant ok to that, but keep the results internal like they do Scandinavia. Completely break the link to the curricula and free teachers from ranking and standards.

Kids could grow gardens and build play structures: there is room in many school yards for that now.  Work with multiple ages for calmer groups with more flexibility and to lessen groupthink or peer pressure.  A social life with different people and ages has more vitamins and minerals that a social life in an age-segregated population.  It is also more stable, more fun, and easier to do.