Some of the poorest students get the newest, fanciest public school around

> The library is meant to be noisy: It’s a lounge-like area with no walls or doors that is bisected by the hallway that traverses the building. And there are no shelves or books — all volumes are digital.

> Classrooms are organized like high-tech college lecture halls — no teacher has their own room. Instead, each teacher has a desk and a computer in a separate and small “collaboration” room.

I'm all for state of the art public and collaborative spaces. But I hope they make room for solitary reflection and individual study. As a student, the hours spent in the library stacks were invaluable. In my career, having a quite place to retreat throughout the day is sometimes the only thing that keeps me sane.