hypochondrial primitive suggests commune for poor

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3013127

hyphenate  (1000+ posts)       Sat Mar-15-08 10:38 AM
Original message

An educational idea--input requested! 

Recently California adopted a new rule that said homeschooling was only acceptable when taught by accredited individuals. Some "light" thinking on my part has come up with an idea that could be very innovative in one fashion or another, and help out a lot of people in states where there must be specific standards in educational roots.

Picture, if you will, large indoor opened spaces--old, abandoned warehouses and other such properties. Now picture the space with wooden "walls" and some semblance to a real living space.

At one end of the building, small "rooms" of about 20x20 or so, making up what would be the school end of the building, and the other spaces set up as boarding "rooms" or small, studio apartments.

The criteria would be the residents were recently homeless, and that mostly includes those with children. Nothing fancy in the building we could call a "coop" but somewhere where there is a place to sleep, a place to prepare food, and a roof over the head when there is a dire need for shelter.

A communal kitchen, living room area, and study room would complete the setup of the "home" area (with lots of bathrooms to suit). The school end would have one or two professional teachers (depending on the number of students), quite possibly those who are looking for internships or the equivalent of teaching assistants. They too would be given a space to live for free while they are teaching. Most of them would be only there a year or two, but if they want to stay longer, they have that as an option.

The whole communal living experience will provide people with shelter, education, a place to eat, health care, and more.

The cost to the government would likely not be much higher than it is now, and bonds will develop between the families in the community.

Before anyone argues with me on this one, keep in mind that this is not a fully developed plan, but just a concept I've come up with based solely on need and creativity.

I dunno.

Unless the hypochondrial primitive is willing to live in such a situation too, I don't think much of this idea.

Those who preach, should first practice.

notadmblnd  (1000+ posts)       Sat Mar-15-08 10:45 AM
Response to Original message

1. I don't know.. I don't like the segregation aspect of this.

warehouse the poor and provide for their needs all in one spot? Seems we could do the same things with concentration camps. They're already set up, we could just staff them and start moving people in.

Also, wasn't this tried with some of the victims of Katrina? I seem to recall people were shipped to some sort of compound and there was an uproar over it?

hyphenate  (1000+ posts)       Sat Mar-15-08 10:59 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. I'm not asking that it be restrictive because from experience I know that many people are just in need of a hand up--if something like this were set up, the only condition would be for a year at a time, providing the families a chance to put enough together to get a more permanent residence. Many people are forced out into the streets because they rarely can provide 1st, last rent and security deposit. As a result, becoming homeless is as close as living paycheck to paycheck.

The reason for the actual year rule would be to give the kids a bit of stability, at least for one full school year. Social workers would also have a way to check on their clients in a safe environment, and meeting with officials would certainly be easier to arrange.

The whole idea is not to force anyone into living in such a community, but to have children who are otherwise homeless have an address, food, shelter, and an education.

They are free to come and go as they please otherwise, but they must be willing to make that much of a committment.

IowaGirl  (165 posts)      Sat Mar-15-08 11:46 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. Brainstorming is what we need to do to find some answers for these situations...

One thing off the top of my head that occurs to me is that the warehouses would have to be thoroughly checked for asbestos or other pollutants. I think there could be possibilities here, however. It would be better than living under a bridge. The educational areas would have to be checked for acoustics. Some of the large educational rooms that were popular for a while were a problem for learning because they were so echoey(sp?) that the kids did not learn so well. It's definitely an idea worthy of study. Good for you for making a start! 

hyphenate  (1000+ posts)       Sat Mar-15-08 03:13 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. Thanks 

Just looking for solutions to our many problems. Let's face it--our "leaders" haven't done it yet. We have to rely on our own wits to survive.

Bandit  (1000+ posts)      Sat Mar-15-08 12:11 PM
Response to Original message

4. In my state home schoolers have an official teacher

Parents work as a "teacher's aid" and the work is sent off for the teacher to examine and grade. The teacher gives the assignments and the parents make sure those assignments are done. The teacher never really has any real interaction with the student other than by correspondence and that is why they officially call it "Correspondence School". It seems to work quite well.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Sounds kinda like refugee kids sitting around a circle in the rubble of ruined town, burning a fire of building wreckage for warmth, while the Komsomol cadre teaches them about class and the struggle of the proletariat.  But perhaps I'm just cynical....

[Lord Undies]

Dallas has been doing something like this to old buildings downtown,

http://www.mosaicdallas.com/

[Carl]

IowaGirl  (165 posts)      Sat Mar-15-08 11:46 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. Brainstorming is what we need to do to find some answers for these situations...

One thing off the top of my head that occurs to me is that the warehouses would have to be thoroughly checked for asbestos or other pollutants. I think there could be possibilities here, however. It would be better than living under a bridge. The educational areas would have to be checked for acoustics. Some of the large educational rooms that were popular for a while were a problem for learning because they were so echoey(sp?) that the kids did not learn so well. It's definitely an idea worthy of study. Good for you for making a start!