"Others say free schools could gain popularity if the emphasis on testing and regimented curriculums keeps up."
Yeah, that's what we need....people with even LESS education running around. I thought maybe these schools were for kids who were like 4, 5, 6 years old....but all the way up to 17??? I don't see how this is even legal.
I was a late bloomer academically, but when I did finally bloom I bloomed my asss off. I had to come to the realization that 1) there is true value in education and knowledge, and 2) it's important to have a proper balance in order to get the most out of it.
When I was a stepfather, I became an important part of the lives of two small children - twin boys. When they started school, they would literally throw a tantrum when it came time to do homework. What I did was implement a program where we'd work for 20 mins, then I'd give them 20 mins to go and do what they wanted to do. Then we'd work another 20, they'd get 20 of their own, and so on. I helped provide them a better balance to where they got much more out of the time they spent doing their homework, and then they began to realize for themselves - at age 6! - the value of learning. Their grades improved, they acted out much less often in class, and we became much closer as a family. There is also evidence that you better retain what you learn at the beginning and end of a study session than what you learn during the middle. So I think that helped, too.
Instead of totally screwing these kids in terms of their viability as productive members of society, maybe focus more on working with children to more successfully adapt to the rigors and challenges that come along with being a student.