Chad Foster – The Man Behind Real Education

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Back in 1999, Chad Foster broke onto the teen education scene like a whirl wind. This unexpected nobody in the world of education suppsoedly wrote a book that would revolutionize the world of teen education and the way everyone looked at our role as teacher’s in the educational enviroment.  He came with his over charismatic flair, his unbelivable positive atitude, and a list of backers that was a who’s who of the rich, powerful, and famous.  Many teachers of the time were very stand offish to this man who took control of a situation and tunred normally calm meetings into something akin to a vaudeville act.  Upon reading his book, many were flabergasted that this young kid with little or no formal education could actually produce a book of such magnitude.  His mere pressence went against everything that the education world held as true and real.  His mere existenxce and succes rocked tride and true realities such as: “You muxt go to College to be Successful.”  “You have to pick something and work hard making it a carrer.”  “You won’t necessarily be a success if you just play sports, you have to pay attention to the rest of school too.”  He was so positive that his way was the way, we all were compelled to listen as he spouted that we as educators were failing the one group of people we spent the most time with and the one group we cared the most for: our students.  It was a hard hit, and it hit very close to home.  Many of my fellow teachers turned their heads; just walked away from this man who spouted lies and slapped us in the face. His first Book was Preparing Teens For the Real World.

Many of us looked on, and were curious.  Who was this guy who said he knew so much?  Who was this seller of books that told us we were doing nothing for our students? Why should we listen to Chad Foster?  I found out that was a very good question, and the answer would change my view of education for the rest of my career.  I wasn’t alone, many of us did the research and met the man.  He was exactly what this world of Education needed.  He was exactly the man who education had waitied for, and was wanting to turn the whole thing on its ear. 

Chad Foster was a proffesional tennis player, he had created three compasnies all of which were at Fortune 500 stastus.  His first company was connected to his Tennis career and his endorsements. His second was created by becomign the inventor of the spongy turf used in all of McDonald’s playlands.  The third was his extremely popular productioncompany that he created a way to show everyone how to fish better.  The name of the show was Flyfishing America, and it was a hit across the United States and can still be seen on ESPN.  He was exactly what he proposed himself to be.  A man who fell on his face, picked himself up, lived his passions, and believed he would come out on top. It didn’t always work out for him, but he figured out a way to create everythign he wanted.  After learning the skills that worked and didn”t work, he began asking others what skills they saw that worked and didn’t work.  He realized very quickly that this information was needed by everyone.  This shouldn’t be just kept for himself.  He felt the need to educate everyone about these great skills and abilities that everyone has, but just doesn’t realize it. So he wrote his first book, and it was exactly just that – a list of the skills you will need to be succesful, and how to do it.

However, in his reseqarch he realized that there was another very large piece of information that most people didn’t know.  So he wrote his second book: Finacial Literacy For teens.  Whenj asked why all of his books were for teens he simply said,”Because adults think they knwo it all, and they are the future.” (New York Times, 2005)  He came back into the educational world with his mega phone and book, but this time there was none of the vaudevillian act.  He knew what he had to offer, and he knew that those who didn’t like him before would either like or not like him now.  He was not different, he was merely sedate.  That year I realized that these books should becoem required reading fro every teen in america, if not every teen in the world.  I even propegated that idea to my principal and many of my fellow teachers. But, there was no way that was going to happen.  There was one road block after another after another.  Of course ecveryone who went through my class was required to read and study it. 

Chad Foster and his books melted into the “if it’s not broke, don’t fizx it” metality of the educational system.  Now, his books are not marketed to the entire curiculum as they once were; they are now only for the “business” world.  However, take a look for yourself.  You’ll see for yourself that this man has created in one book that amasses a total of 85 pages and another that is only 90 pages the secrets of our society, world, and everythign that there is.  In  these two books he has developed a course that will teach everyone how to become a verty successful person, and an upstanding model of society.  So take Chad Foster’s example in your own life.  No matrer what the obstacles, gifts, or abilities you have; you can do and becoem anythign you want.  Read his books, you’ll be flabbergasted at the simple truths that he has given that someone should have written down a long time ago.  If you read them and feel thus inspired, get as many people as you can to read them.  It is up to you how far you take it, or how much you want to push these books. But that is the story of the day Chad Foster blew into the Educational world and changed everything for many of us teachers.