Elementary School (Design) Memories . . . The debate over the demolition of Hopi Elementary School in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix got me thinking about the history of the "finger-plan" school here in Arizona, the history of the design concept in general, and why these things are worth considering as we try to determine what constitutes "progress" in the modern context. My first experience of the classic Arizona finger plan school came in 4th grade, at Wrightstown Elementary School in Tucson. My family had relocated the summer before from Illinois, and I attended with my younger sister for two years. What I remember most about Wrightstown were the windows - one entire side of the classroom was steel sash window (perhaps aluminum, but that sash style window in any event), from 3 feet off the floor, to what seemed like 10 or 11 feet at the roofline. Coming from Illinois, ... Read more