High School Dropout Turned Harvard Professor Shares What’s Wrong with Education | The Way I Heard It

My grandson had social issues in school, then covid happened. At 16 he started working at taco bell, then 2 year's at Burger King. He learned to be social , work hard , be responsible, do customer service, and cashier. He has passed 2 GED tests, and now at 18 just got his driver's license, first car , saving money , investing in some stocks , very smart . He's learned more the last 3 years than he ever did in public school.

Public schools use to teach trades. I learned to build a house in high school in the 70s.

Wow! Great discussion. I’m a HS dropout with 2 doctorate degrees who homeschooled a son after a middle school special ed coordinator tried to convince me he had reached his potential at 12. We studied Latin, Linguistics, and Logic together, then I sent him off to his 1st choice college on scholarship, where his professors truly appreciated the genius. Four years of Dean’s list performance later he graduated and took a university job in the research laboratories. He knew what he wanted to study - Biological Anthropology - at age 12. Now at 33, he’s a lifelong learner with super interesting hobbies. He works to make money so he can enjoy his time off.

When I was in 11th grade my mother pulled me from school because the violence was getting out of hand. The KKK had been rallying at the schools in St Lucie county in the early 90’s, and it even brought Jerry Springer into town. Anyways, I got my GED and jumped into the workforce. While I worked odd jobs, I taught myself computer programming in the mid 90s. In 2000 I got a job as an IT Technician. 25 years later I’m still with the same company, now a database admin making $170,000 salary. I’m living proof that you don’t need a college education to get into a good career, even in the tech industry.

I went to a public HS back in the 60's. It wasn't the best. But we were being taught what we needed to know to get into college. We were also taught to be proud to be an American. To pledge our allegiance to this country. To be respectful to our teachers and our elders. It is a shame what schools have become today. Too much nonsense.

I have sixth graders who can't spell, seventh graders who can't read, third graders who do not know they are looking at the map of the USA. It is so very sad.

I wish this kinda thing would have happened 50, 60 years ago. I was so bored in school. I didn't graduate either. I found my calling while in the Army, electronics repair. I was a radar tech and turned that into a career in business-class two way radio and paging. Both of which are nearly gone due to advances in technology. Let's hope that this helps our young people, who are already behind due to the way things are run now.

The timing of this discussion is a god-send; 65 years old, too “young” to retire & my job of 20 years suddenly a position that is now “eliminated”. I am way too young to retire, physically, mentally & financially! Happiness in what I can do with others needs to be my #1 priority!!

If one feels being a plumber is a lower-class status, wait until one needs a plumber to unstop your sewer line and see how much of your upper-class money that lower-class worker takes!

And people complain about shutting down the Department of Education! This is a blessing!