This is an excerpt from "Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education" (The New Press, 2012). It concludes that GED programs need more resources, not less. The programs tend to be populated by low-to-modest income people who failed school the first time around and now are considered less worthy of investment. GED programs have poor completion rates, but that is often because the many demands on students' lives overwhelm their ability to attend school. With a review of GED standards currently underway, we should deeply consider the role the GED plays in the lives of those who pursue it.