The comment about declining trade school enrollment is so telling. I have so regularly argued against the four-year college obsession. Though, in my district, there is no chance for a retreat from that. Even a great respect for associate degrees would be a huge step forward.

I really like what New Hampshire is planning with graduation at sixteen for those entering associate programs and trade schools. However, I fear resistance, especially as the administration talks excessively about post-graduate work, and Bill Gates puts an op-ed in the Washington Post that claims we should have as a goal that 8 of 10 high school students enter four-year colleges by 2025. Is he expecting that 80% of jobs will require those degrees, even as only 3 in 10 Americans currently have a bachelor’s degree.

The entitlement concept which seeks to diminish work and plan for the earliest retirement possible is another side effect. When I suggested Colorado raise the eligibility age for retirement from 52 to 60 or even 55, it was considered heresy. Who says we ever deserve to retire anyway. Only if you can on your own should be the standard.