Schools for young people

["William K. Medlin" <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

I heartily concur with most of what Duncan says (post 2/12 8:13 AM) 
about the intrinsic values of our older school structures and their 
intimate relationships with community and the bonding roles they 
serve. In the history of educational planning and administration over 
the past century, the "business" oriented philosophy coming out of 
Taylorism (production-line concepts, economies of scale, etc.) has 
pretty much dominated school architecture, the results of which are 
all across the country: huge sprawling structures housing between 
1500 and 2500 youngsters, creating not a sense of ownership or 
attachment but rather alienation, loneliness (many kids have little 
or no bonding experiences), anonymity, and sometimes "gang" like 
tendencies alien to wholesome values that speak to caring, loyal and 
accepting behaviors. Such things do serve well those who prize big 
schools for their competitive sports potentials.
	While in some respects these monsters do "offer" more options 
and space for broader activities, they are unwieldy as social 
"encampments" and as effective means for giving each child the kinds 
of attention he/she deserves from a basically nurturing institution 
-- a surrogate of the family which releases its child each day for 
further education and nurturing.
	And how about logistics?  Locations where kids can walk, bike 
or car pool enhance the sense of community, of belonging to 
traditional values and ethics. Plopping a large structure out on the 
edge of a town does just the opposite. I can recall vividly two new 
high schools in Ann Arbor, MI, a college town once much like Moscow. 
Both were carved out well within the city's main residential areas -- 
perfect locations -- where all my kids went to school. I've lived the 
experience. Moscow students do need more athletic and other creative 
arts spaces for sure. But must these needs be satisfied only "way 
out" someplace on the edge of farm land? Do they really need "40 
acres"? Will every kid then want 4 wheels to go to school? Must we 
further congest the few main arteries running in and out of the city?
	As in other major planning issues, we need a competent and 
fully representative task force in which all citizens can place 
trust, and which will not end up forcing through a decision that 
lacks genuine features serving the best interests of both school and 
community -- they are bound together!