The Hill News

Have you ever considered education as a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure? We hear a lot about our decaying roads and bridges and the need to provide money and jobs to make improvements. We pay attention to this because an unsafe bridge or a large pothole is difficult to ignore. While spending money on roads, bridges, and power grids is necessary, it is also critical in 2011 for the United States to re-build our human infrastructure. This is how a stronger economy and society will ultimately emerge.

A strong human infrastructure needs to be based around education. The challenges facing education are much less obvious than a gaping pothole, but just as dangerous to the well-being of our nation. In 2011, we are a nation at risk as a result of policies that perpetuate a system of educational haves and have nots. It is no secret that the number of persons slipping into poverty has increased in the United States. It is also no secret that our country i! s challenged with high school drop-out rates and high unemployment.

As a nation, we are struggling to educate, motivate, and graduate sufficient numbers of students to meet our current and projected labor force requirements. These problems are complex and do not have simple solutions. However, every indicator that I look at points to education as the only proven path out of poverty and is the leading indicator in achieving social success as well.

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