The customer of a school is the parent. Not the child. Nor a labor union. Nor the government. When the government forces ideas such as mandatory busing or controlled choice on families, the overall net effects are negative. Schools become predominantly minority. It contributes to growing racial and economic isolation. Nor does it close achievement gaps.

Children start to develop powerful cognitive capabilities, complex emotions, and essential social skills in the earliest years. Thus, it is imperative that we provide children with an early life that will prepare them to live in our society. That requires that we make provisions for early childhood education for children who will not receive it at home.

Teacher compensation comes in two types: base compensation, which is the pay that all teachers receive, and incentive compensation, which results from additional training or on-the-job performance. No other profession operates this way. The current teacher compensation system is broken and needs to be totally changed.

A state is the main party to take on the task of defining what it should mean to be a high school graduate. Our suggestion is that three task forces be set up to determine the admission requirements for universities, community colleges, and the workforce.