Developing brainpower will determine the long term prosepects for our regional economy. As a result, we have a deep stake in improving the performance of the our high schools.

Few economic development investments are as sound as investments -- early childhood development, drop-out prevention, post-secondary education incentives -- that improve educational outcomes.

Michigan has been a pioneer in high school e-learning with its Virtual High School. These type of innovations offer the prospect of improving outcomes in secondary schools, where innovations are remarkably hard to launch. (We still measure progress in high schools by Carnegie units -- a measure of "seat time" -- devised in 1906.)

Here's an interesting report on e-learning opportunities for Michigan. According to the report: "Michigan cannot lead in the 21st Century without casting off the anchors of attitude, archaic laws and public policies and beliefs that bind us to 20th-Century education models."

The same holds true for Northeast Ohio. Download the report.