Kids are people, too, of course, brimming with the ideas that will shape the future. They know what they want and what they want to do. Toca Magazine talked to a few kids from a variety of educational environments — U.S. public schools, alternative private schools and homeschools — to find out where kids feel empowered and how they’d change things if they were.

If you could plan your whole day, what would you do?

• Margaret, 6: I would do some math because it’s good for your brain. I would do some exercising so I’m healthy. I would help with chores to make sure everything is clean and nice. I would clean up my room. I would play with friends and not leave anybody out.
• Rebecca, 9: Get up, eat breakfast while I watch some TV, shower and brush my teeth, practice piano so I don’t have to do it later, play with Duck tape, play on the iPad. Then eat lunch, have a play date, eat a snack, go to the park, and then dinner and dessert. Then watch a movie, go to bed.
• Toby, 10: I would go to a bunch of video game stores and a waterpark, and last I would order pizza for dinner and play video games until I fall asleep.
• River, 11: First I would go to my weekly wilderness class and go swimming and do water activities there until I had to go home. Then I would go to YMCA dodgeball for two hours and then on the way home I would stop and get an Oreo shake. After that I would come home and have a sleepover full of video games with four of my friends.

When do you feel totally in control (or empowered) to choose what you do or how you do it?

• Margaret, 6: After lunch (recess). When I play games. Exercise.
• Rebecca, 9: When I’m on the iPad at home.
• Toby, 10: On my birthday.
• River, 11: I usually feel in control 95 percent of the day. I don’t have too much schoolwork or chores. After my work is done, I can do whatever I want within reason. I read for several hours most days. I’m allowed a certain amount of screen time per day that I can use when I choose.

Do you ever get to choose what you do at school? Like when?

• Margaret, 6: Recess. Free time.
• Rebecca, 9: At recess.
• Toby, 10: When we do brain breaks the class gets to choose what we do.
• River, 11: I get to decide when I start my work, what order I do it in, and where I do it (in my room, outside, at the table and in the guest room). Sometimes my mom lets me choose between lessons.

What do you and your parents disagree about the most?

• Margaret, 6: When I don’t go to bed.
• Rebecca, 9: Practicing piano.
• Toby, 10: Getting off my electronics.
• River, 11: How to get along with my 7-year-old brother, what he does, and when to let things go.

If kids were in charge, how would school be different?

• Margaret, 6: We would be in charge of the teachers. We could do what want. We could go and play.
• Rebecca, 9: Longer recess and longer lunch; two snacks instead of one.
• Toby, 10: Instead of learning we would have parties every day, and on Fridays we’d order pizza. NO HOMEWORK.
• River, 11: Lots of field trips and hands-on classes, but at home small but steady amounts of work.

If kids were in charge, how would home be different?

• Margaret, 6: Kids could do what they wanted. They wouldn’t have to follow the rules. Go to sleep when I wanted to. I could play what I wanted to play.
• Rebecca, 9: Less piano practice, do pillow sack races whenever we want, snack on sweets more.
• Toby, 10: No chores and video game time every day.
• River, 11: After schoolwork, the kids would be free to do whatever they want without going overboard. Honestly I would bump up the allowance, bump up the sugar, the media, and the sleepover frequency!