Ah, Walter, your story brings back fond memories. Though mine date back a decade or so earlier and the teachers were a tad more entrenched in their belief systems - think WW I and The Somme. I can relate to the thirst for reading. I consumed books more than read them. (Think a wood-chipper and the great oak that once was.) Loved feeling the words wash over me. That's how I learned. The less I struggled the more I understood. Not sure if the New York system qualifies as conservative or liberal. Education generally sat 20 years behind the political curve so who knows. I can state that I liked learning and schools were where a lot of it was taking place., beyond that … I coped and read wherever and whenever I could.

Good read.