Dan would get every math assignment for the quarter from the teacher on the first day and ignore the lessons and simply do all of the assignments in a week or two during class, have them filed, turn them in at the required time, and then spend the rest of the quarter reading books or drawing or programming, except for exam days, which he always passed with ease.

I would read far ahead of the assigned readings for English, and then just skim 10 minutes before hand to refresh myself on the day of the exams. During discussions Mike, Dan, Ryan and I would essentially just have a 4 person discussion about the books and ignored almost everyone else. We learned how to play devil’s advocate and that you could essentially argue anything with the right rhetorical tools.

We also would read books together and discuss them, spontaneously. There was no coordination, just that someone would find something good, recommend it, and within a few days everyone would be reading it. We averaged about 90 books a year with this model.

Dan and I would practice our French because almost no one else took the class and it amused us to be able to speak so that no one else would understand us. I can still read French fairly well, despite having not really used it or looked at it in almost 2 decades. Speaking is a train-wreck though.

I guess, upon reflection, I didn’t really like school, I just liked my group of friends, was stimulated by their company, and enjoyed the fact that we were mostly left alone to learn and teach one another.

Huh. Yea, you all win, school blows.

School is child prison. For smart boys, school is literally worse than the Holocaust.

Call me an Abolitionist because I will NEVER FORGET.