"We must equip our citizens with the skills and attitudes for economic and civic success in an increasingly knowledge-based economy," writes William Schweke in Smart Money. Yet education funding has been losing ground -- the state of Nebraska cut more than $432 million in promised aid to education from 2001-05 -- at a time when the knowledge-based economy demands an increasingly higher set of skills.

Schweke notes that "a compelling body of research links primary and secondary education to economic development and growth. This research recognizes people as a type of economic asset -- "human capital" -- and shows that increased investment in health, skills, and knowledge provides future returns to the economy through increases in labor productivity. Education increases workers' average earnings and productivity, and it also reduces the incidence of social problems such as drug abuse, crime, welfare dependency, and lack of access to medical care, all of which can weigh heavily on the economy." Did you know that fourth grade reading scores are used as an indicator of future prison populations? Indeed, research confirms the value of investing in educational programs, curricula, technologies, skills, and infrastructure.

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