Extreme Makeover: Part 2

I have been thinking about it and I am fully committed to this education reform idea. I've even worked out a few of the kinks, such as what to do with the folks who can't cut it in academia.

As stated before, the main problem with education is that it lacks competition. So, my plan introduces competition to stay in high school, perhaps as early as the ninth grade.

Some would argue that grades are competition. Thanks to those teachers who just can't bear to face the fact that there are a lot of lazy and stupid students out there and those teachers that have standards so low that a dead raccoon could jump them we have grade inflation to ruin that hypothesis. This goes back to the argument about freezing hires except in a situation to replace crummy teachers (hopefully, with better ones). Hey, if it's a competition for the students, it's a competition for everyone else, too.

So, with competition now introduced into the system, we have an issue of what to do with the student cuts. In a furied frenzy to publish, I have to admit that I overlooked that one a bit too hastily. I offered the option of home-schooling, but then I remembered the education level of a lot of parents that I've dealt with (products of the current system failures). I figured the home education would, in many cases, be either how to make crack or how to smoke it. So I had to go back to the drawing boards. I still want those kids to have a chance at making some money, to be real contributors to society, but maybe our current system isn't the answer with its "one size fits all" mentality. I thought about it a bit and I think I might have a solution.

Trade school. We can have a tiered system. Can't hack it in academics? Learn a trade!

"But vocational is a bad word!"
I know, but I don't know how or when it became one. Hell, my buddy didn't even graduate from high school, learned plumbing, and now has his own plumbing business pulling in 6 figures(before the decimal) a year. Compare that to the measly wage I get with a freakin' masters degree. Supposedly, I'm supposed to have some type of spiritual income from "making a difference" but that don't pay the mortgage, sweetheart.

"But what if they suck ass in trade school, too?"
Hell, we'll always need janitors & McDonald's employees. Besides, we ain't miracle-workers.

"But wouldn't a 'second' school system require more teachers and buildings?"
We can use existing facilities, it's just some folks might have to travel a little farther. As for the teacher issue, perhaps. We could always reposition some existing teachers. But hell, if you were looking to hire more in the first place...

This idea is still a work in progress. To be honest, I've only been thinking about it and this is my attempt to bounce a few ideas out there. I'm looking to refine this hypothesis and I welcome your input, perhaps via the comment section (hint hint).

In the meantime, I'll be thinking about it.