This quote says it all.

“New buildings are nice, but when they’re run by the same people who’ve given us a 50 percent dropout rate, they’re a big waste of taxpayer money,” said Ben Austin, executive director of Parent Revolution who sits on the California Board of Education. “Parents aren’t fooled.”

This isn’t a stretch for Canada at all.

As a matter of fact we’re already seeing themed schools in Ontario like the one near Windsor which boasts an environmental theme and has David Suzuki as a consulting on the theme. There are more in the works, one partnered with a local museum and displays artifacts in each classroom (in protective cases) or the school that’s themed in Canadian history.

To twin those themes to a different type of building like the Pan-Abode would be an easy sell I believe.

Unlike the parents of the revolution I’m thinking that it would be very easy to fool Ontario parents. It’s done every day.

I’ve noticed a real similarity between some schools in my area, at least the exteriors, so I suspect each and every architect is, more or less, tapping the latest trend in school design.

Given that the basics in schools are pretty uniform it does seem they lend themselves toward a few basic designs.

I suspect the architectual community would howl at the prospect of losing the fat fees they receive, though!