The Death of Shop Class: America Can Code an App… But Can’t Fix a Lawn Mower

Can America’s newest graduates explain the difference between a two-stroke and a four-stroke engine? Probably not—and that’s the point. Somewhere along the way, we traded shop class for screen time and mechanical know-how for digital convenience. This isn’t really about lawn mowers or chainsaws. It’s about what happens when a society can build apps but struggles to understand the machines that keep the lights on, the food growing, and the country moving. Maybe it’s time to ask whether practical knowledge still deserves a place in a modern education.

Don’t Ever Grow Up

Dear Kid,

Don’t grow up. Don’t turn into an adult. That’s my advice. Resist adulthood. Be a kid forever.

Right now, a lot of adults are angry in America. To be fair, we have a lot to be angry about. But adults can behave badly when they are angry. So please forgive us.