I thank you very much for your perspectives and rationally thought out comments! I do stop short of the belief of a free compulsory education as a version of imprisonment, but do agree about learning needing to be the constant with time being the variable. Right now, our system can unfortunately sometimes promote quite the opposite of that. I can't even begin to tell you the times I have lamented having to just move forward with material for the sake of fitting in the necessary curriculum.

This being said, there are strides being made in the direction of learning being the constant, but mostly baby steps. And, of course, no one agrees about which direction is best. I really appreciate the debate though, and much like this conversation, believe it to be completely healthy.

When it comes to educational reform, I am behind anything that puts student learning paramount, with equitable and free access with full supports offered for all learners. Supports that would encourage the "penniless hobo" to learn at their own pace and subsidies to provide them the ability to do so. Getting there though, is the battle!