So, if a beautiful campus and a football stadium isn't necessary for a good school, what is?

Teachers.

Good teachers.

A focus on academics.

A belief in the value of learning.

Parental involvement.

Good principals.

Good principles.

Lastly, pointing out the connection between things kids enjoy and the things they are learning, which leads to joy in learning. For example: the most recent OK Go! video is "...a celebration of actual root-level physics." And is there anything more fun than this video?



My son, who attends a Loudoun County Public School, is getting exactly this joy in learning from his teacher (he's in 2nd grade). He also got it from his 1st grade teacher. The teachers and principals in Loudoun County are, bar none, TERRIFIC.* The second grade curriculum is strong and has room for children with differing levels of skills to succeed.

This would be the case even if they didn't have a baseball field outside. For instance, the most desirable public school in my home town neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, is PS 321.


View Larger Map


View Larger Map

See? No baseball field. Three story building. The fifth grade is in that "temporary" building in the backyard (second street view). That temporary building is older than I am. Yet they win awards.

To sum up: Good teachers, good principals, and a focus on academics. Are you telling me we can't get that done on less than 70 acres for a high school?

*Full disclosure: my son does not attend his zoned school. The after-school facility where he's been since age 3 doesn't pick up from there, so he has received permission to attend a school his after-school facility does pick up from. I would be proud for him to attend ANY school in the LCPS system.