I believe that control of education needs to be in the hands of parents, teachers and principals at the local level. State government should provide the flexibility and resources local officials need to provide a quality education with more focus on classroom needs and a structure that rewards excellence in teaching.
From a personal standpoint, I believe we should return to the fundamentals of learning with a focus on critical thinking rather than the reciting of facts and figures that are forgotten soon after the test. If a student has learned how to learn and can think through issues and problems thoroughly, couple that with personal initiative and they will be able to achieve anything. Parental involvement is absolutely critical to success.