As embarrassing and regretful as ladders are, and as wisely, most serious thinkers avoid them.

We need to bring them back to the table, but not as a way to elevate, but as a scaffold to climb.

We lie to students that standardized education works, we make it seem like the real thing is about sitting around and waiting.

But education is about making profound leaps forward, and today, it is not found in schools.

Schools have diplomas that will hoist a few students, to a brand name university.

But, that is not a good thing, the few leaving behind the rest, is the problem not the solution.

So what is a ladder in the modern and wise world, I have an answer for you that you need to sit down for.

It is two High School Teenagers, where one asks the other, “Did you finish your VPL yet?”

And she answers, “Nope, I am still half way through my AT, and I want to do full Triple Crown…”

The AT, and VPL, are the steps of a ladder, these are specially crafted graduation artifacts.

They are, stepping stones, achievements, they are meaningful, powerful, and lovely.

I only mention two here, to show the spectrum, to show how it is done.

The VPL is short for Visual Programming Language, they are not hard to make, but they are hard to make perfect.

AT or the full Triple Crown, are the lessons learned when crossing, the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide.

Many will try, but no teacher will be able to fake this, and eventually no student will want the shortcut, as that can only turn them into a tool.

My favorite, is the launching of a series of small web based companies, until some number of them starts chugging along.

And thus, helps the student stop being scared of poverty.

But this here, is no place to dwell on details, as we have a fat elephant in the room with us.

So let me say this, to all the parents, who want their kids to graduate all the things.

Listen here, you just used schools as a babysitter, wasting your children’s own predispositions and time.

You have tricked them into thinking, that ineffective education is more than just easy paperwork.

You had them thinking that memorization, is a kind of education.

Let me be, clear.

The world does not need anymore pill popping doctors, who open their visits with “I have a pill for everything”

The world does not need anymore judges, who are scared and offended by behavior clearly copied from TV shows.

The world does not need anymore pretenders, who hold humanity back, while pretending to lead.

The world needs great beings, who stand upon real achievement, whose knowledge and wisdom added up to help the rise to greatness.

Either help your children rise, or stay out of their way, and stop interrupting their growing up with your own misunderstanding of the world.

We are each mean to grow all the way up, until authentic knowledge ignites into wisdom and beyond.