I believe that one of our biggest problems has to do with education. If a country lacks a viable educational program, it is doomed to failure.

Our constitutional statesmen in 1787 certainly understood the important role education plays and the need to ensure its place in our new country.

Today we are witnessing a tragic reversal of their educational policy, with the construction of more prisons instead of schools in many states.

According to the National Dropout Prevention Center, there is a direct correlation between education and incarceration. Of the inmates housed in prison, 82 percent are school dropouts. The average cost per inmate is $55,000, while the K-12 cost is $10,500 per student.

This certainly should alert us that here in the U.S. we have a big problem. We must ensure that all school districts are well-funded and that each student is carefully monitored through his or her 12 years of schooling.

Families also must be made a part of the educational system.

Finally, education should not be a competitive operation; each student approaches his or her educational program as a unique individual.