This week, li’l rugrats are headed back to school in many districts in North Texas. Not every district. Many districts. A couple years ago, adult rugrats in Austin gave districts more autonomy on when to start school.

Fort Worth started today. The superintendent and mayor showed up at an elementary school with news reporters carrying microphones and TV cameras to make sure kids were nervous.

The mayor gave the li’l munchkins an “I [heart] Ft. Worth pin” as they walked into the John T. White Leadership Academy. Frankly, I’d have been terrified [much like the li’l munchkin in that picture] if the mayor and a bunch of reporters started taking my picture when all I wanted to do was walk into school. I’d probably stop trying to walk into school as a result.

Education, however, is important. That’s editorializing, but the superintendent said it, not me.

You see, back when I was in high school, I was what was known as a “slacker.” Then I got to college and did quite well, but I feel like if mayors had kept showing up at my grade school and clipping buttons on my collar, I wouldn’t have developed the focus I’d need.

The leadership academy does, though, have uniforms. If those kids are anything like me, they will benefit when they get to high school later on because they’ll have to learn how to tie neckties. Then they’ll figure out a workaround by keeping pre-tied neckties in their locker.

I sidled up to the superintendent and started chatting with him. I asked about how the education process has changed. Now, kids have all these choices.

Back in My Day, we got shoved into a room and were told which classes to take. Now, kids get all these electives, like aircraft maintenance.

Over the past week, I’ve mentioned that in just about every district in the area. Sorry, superintendents, I hope you didn’t think you the only one getting that question.

Back in My Day, I’d explain, we had two choices: We could pick which foreign language we studied (I went with German for some reason) and we could pick between art and cooking as an elective.

Scribner explained the leadership academies give kids who may not have a support system at home a longer day where they get more one-on-one tutoring and more access to fine arts.

Also, those electives can give you practical skills that you’ll need in real life.

As you can see, I chose art as my elective. That’s an example of a practical application. If not for the support of my family and teachers, I would not have completed this drawing of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.

You might think it’s weird that I saved a drawing of C. Everett Koop I made in high school. You might be a fool.