The author is the founder of one of the most successful charter schools in the nation, and because of that her story of school’s way to success, her self-analysis and readiness to evaluate the school are so challenging. She attributes school’s success to a rigorous and well tested curriculum and increased expectations on students, as well as to the work of dedicated teachers who are experts in their disciplines, and also to the freedom allowed to charter schools in the state of Arizona.

The story of BASIS schools is a story, well told in National media (e.g., Newsweek, US News and World Report, and The Washington Post) of a very impressive school. Drs. Olga and Michael Block have succeeded in taking the best of their knowledge, administration, and permissive local legislation, to create a remarkable education program. A significant observation in Block’s article is her sense of the level of participation, discussion, and spirit within the American classroom, accompanied by the lack of academic structure and disciplinary depth. That fairly well sums up the strength and weakness of the American system. I will comment briefly on the strengths of BASIS as an alternative to our current system, and offer a challenge as well