The Ideal Elementary School

My daughter is just shy of a year old and I'm already thinking about what school to send her to. Perhaps it's a bit early to be contemplating the pros and cons of the various choices (public, private, charter, homeschool, etc.), but I've been making lists nevertheless.

Here's what my ideal kindergarten/elementary school would look like:
* Strong leadership
* Kind, intelligent, and creative teachers with values that match ours
* Small class sizes (under 20 - preferably 10-15)
* Colorful, fun, and imaginative environment
* High expectations
* 1/2 day or 3X/week schedule
* Bilingual or multilingual instruction
* Focus on the "basics" - reading, writing, and mathematics
* Ample time for the outdoors, for field trips, and for fun
* Lots of ways for parents to be involved (and lots of parents who take advantage of them)

(Photo by: ifijay)