Personalized Curricula

Is Dropping Out of High School Always Bad?
This article talks about the educational philosophy of the founder of Education Week, who is now 71 years old. I agree heartily with this vision:

"He wants a new system in which students at about age 13 or 14 can design their own personalized curricula, with the help of parents and advisers. He thinks all the individualized programs should have a heavy dose of real-world experience, including jobs, internships and volunteer work, and some time away from home in programs like Outward Bound. Even students whose plans are little more than well-organized ways to drop out, with most school time spent outside the classroom, should still be allowed to participate in any school activities, including athletics, that are important to their growth and development, he says."