You are right when you say that schools don't really assess your intangible assets. Their main priority is deciding who has memorized everything that they have been told is true. As it turns out the only reason this is valuable in the real world is if you want to achieve the same things as every one else. If you strive for something different there is no substitute for creativity and independent thinking.
Its really interesting how this all works. Ordinary people seem to be able to really make waves in the online world. The trick is how do we use this power in a positive way?