Our education system is failing to equip our nation’s children with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in the global economy. Our children’s science and math scores lag well behind those of competitive economies in Asia and most of Europe, making our future workers less attractive for employers in the global economy.

A problem approaching crisis proportions is our schools’ inability to keep students in school. The national drop-out rate is at an all-time high, signaling that we are losing more and more of our nation’s youth in our education system. In North Carolina, the dropout rate is dismal. Hal Jordan believes we need to encourage partnerships between universities, technical colleges, businesses, and high schools to ensure our children learn academics in the context of the skills and careers they might want to pursue. A traditional college preparatory education is not the best path for every student, and alternatives such as vocational technical training should be encouraged for more students. Increasing students’ interest and motivation will encourage them to finish school and allow these students to make a valuable contribution to society.

Education costs continue to rise rapidly without a corresponding improvement in the results.  We need a  variety of educational approaches to serve the wide range of student interests, aptitudes, and learning styles. Charter schools, partnerships with community colleges, vocational education, and homeschooling should be encouraged.  Education must be more flexible and accountable; the current one-size-fits-all model is mediocre at best.  Washington must recognize that local communities, parents, and schools know what is best for their children.