Have you ever seen a strider balance bike?

They’re bikes where kids move along Flintstone style with just their feet and without pedals. They advance themselves by just pushing off with their feet (what’s called “striding”).

This teaches them mastery of the most important part of riding a bike which is balance.

Once they have that, they can learn how to pedal.

Stride bikes work by creating room for mastery of an important competency (balance) by not just adding but actually subtracting.

We need to do similar in our education system. We can’t just add or carry forward what our industrial education system has done forever.

We have to thoughtfully chisel away the excess

So what should we get rid of?

In the School of Entrepreneuring we are building, here’s what we are getting rid of:

• foreign languages
• AP classes
• SAT/ACT prep
• current events discussions
• music/arts
• 10 page / XX word count essays (trained verbosity)
• reading classics (Shakespeare, Homer, etc) and replace with science fiction, biographies and what kids enjoy reading. Don’t kill the desire to read. It is a lifelong superpower.

In addition, the below subjects which overemphasize memorization will not being subtracted out but will be modified significantly

History and Social Studies

Memorization of Dates and Events: remember specific dates, events, and figures without understanding their broader context or significance.

Geographical Facts: memorizing capitals, countries, and physical features without integrating their cultural, economic, or political importance.

Language Arts / English

Grammar Rules: Extensive memorization of rules and exceptions can be emphasized over practical usage and understanding.

Science

Periodic Table: Memorizing elements, symbols, and atomic numbers without understanding their properties and real-world applications.

Biological Terminology: Memorizing complex terms and classifications without integrating their relevance to broader biological systems.

Mathematics

Formulas and Theorems: Focus on memorizing mathematical formulas and theorems without comprehending their derivation or application in problem-solving.

What else would you modify or get rid of altogether from middle/high school life?