— Praise For —

Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?

This amazing book will give you the courage to think seriously about giving your child a more authentic, playful, and joyful learning journey. It cracked my imagination wide open and convinced me that something radically different is not only possible, it’s necessary. Everything you need to create a better future for your child, by making every day better right now, is inside these pages.

—Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

Blake Boles is back with another provocative challenge to parents and guardians. If mainstream schooling isn’t working for your child, maybe it’s time to consider the alternatives. Yes, your kids can still go to college, And, yes, they can have a conventionally successful career. However, once families step out of the traditional education box, they never know where the path might lead.

—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive, When, and A Whole New Mind

A thoughtful, powerful look at the generous act of trusting your kids enough to let them find their own educational rhythm. School and learning are different, and what we need for our future is a focus on more learning and less test-taking.

—Seth Godin, author of Stop Stealing Dreams

There is so much goodness in this powerful, game-changing book! The message (like the title) is bold, and yet Blake’s writing is always thoughtful and nuanced. He offers heaps of friendly guidance and lays out the relevant research with clarity and discernment. Without stooping to hyperbole or manipulation, Blake will have parents wondering why, indeed, they are still sending their kids to school. Better yet, he’ll help them drop unnecessary stress and worry—and help their kids find meaningful, engaged, and joyful paths through life.

—Grace Llewellyn, author of The Teenage Liberation Handbook

This book will push you, provoke you, and quite possibly inspire you to rethink every core assumption you hold about education. Be prepared to open your eyes to radically different ways of preparing kids for radically different forms of “success.”

—Ted Dintersmith, author of What School Could Be and producer of Most Likely to Succeed

Kids don’t need school; they need space to explore and time to think. This book will show you how to give your kids a real education by encouraging them to discover their interests instead of merely following someone else’s directions.

—Penelope Trunk, serial entrepreneur and writer @ penelopetrunk.com

Blake Boles offers a stimulating and important perspective on improving the well-being of young people everywhere.

—Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections

Blake’s new book is a major contribution to the growing understanding of Self-Directed Education. It addresses, straight on, in thoughtful, respectful, and compelling ways the major concerns parents have when they think about the possibility of this approach to education for their children. If you care about children and the future, read this!

—Peter Gray, Research Professor at Boston College and author of Free to Learn

Blake poses the $64,000 question and then draws a detailed roadmap for parents to follow, replete with testimonials from self-directed students, the researchers who have followed them, and the educators who have witnessed their journeys.

—Pat Montgomery, founder of the Clonlara School and author of The School That’s Inside You

Blake’s book is one I wish I had had on my shelf when I was leading my five kids to adulthood. He thoughtfully leads us to consider our preconceptions, beliefs, and aspirations and then gives us a buffet of options that can be paired with a particular teenager—rather than following culturally-derived, one-size-fits-all ideas about education and employment. I especially appreciated how he showed that young people can “signal” a readiness for employment with or without college. A great read and a must-have for the parents of teens.

—Julie Bogart, author of The Brave Learner

Also by Blake Boles:

The Art of Self-Directed Learning

Better Than College

College Without High School

An Invitation to Connect

Over the years, readers have filled my inbox with kind notes, illuminating stories, and friendly challenges to my ideas—all of which I appreciate.

If something in this book calls to you, I invite you to reach out. Find me at blakeboles.com.

Furthermore: if you have a project, venture, or wild idea that might benefit from my involvement, I’m all ears. Collaborations are the stuff of life.