Hello readers, educators, and policymakers,
Right now, across America, millions of children are wondering: What do I want to be when I grow up?
It’s a question I was asked constantly as a kid—and honestly, I never had a good answer.
When someone mentioned “engineer,” I pictured a 20-year-old grease monkey, covered in oil and fixing trains. The word “accountant” brought to mind a lifeless office worker—middle-aged, balding, and glazed over behind a computer screen. “Construction?” That conjured images of struggling blue-collar workers in unsafe, grueling jobs.
It wasn’t until college that my perspective began to shift. I met engineers, took accounting courses, and made friends in construction management. Only then did I realize how skewed and limited my early perceptions had been.
Growing up, I relied on movies and TV to shape my view of different careers. That was all I had. And I’ve come to learn that this isn’t just my experience—it’s a widespread problem. Especially for those who don’t attend college, there’s a major gap in understanding what careers actually entail.
Where we are now
Our current model was originally designed to produce factory workers. Though it has evolved, it still prioritizes college-bound students while neglecting those who might take different paths. It leans too heavily on parental involvement, and it doesn’t adequately prepare young people for real life after school.
Worse, I believe this system holds more people back than it helps. It’s not an issue of bad teachers, lazy students, or indifferent administrators—these are systemic problems. Everyone involved is doing their best within a flawed structure.
My goal is to propose meaningful reforms—ideas to make the system more efficient, more flexible, and more effective for everyone.
In upcoming posts, I’ll break down specific topics like:
- Middle School Exploration
- The 3-School System
- General School
- Vocational School
- Pre-College
- College Admissions
Each post will be tagged to help you navigate topics. You’ll also find a section under “About Me” with personal content: book reviews, news commentary, physical health tips, and my habit tracker where you can follow along with my daily routines and commitments.
If you’re interested in this mission—or have insights to share—please reach out via email. I’m not an educator, I haven’t written a book, and I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I believe with the help of a passionate community, we can make the biggest, boldest improvements to America’s education system in our lifetime.
Let’s get it right—together.
Thank you for reading,
Liam Patton