Some may argue that countries like Japan and China improved economically without English, but they, too, are learning English fast.

We need to direct our efforts toward one goal, and that is to survive.

Competition must be replaced by cooperation.

Issues like security threats, declining traffic, high insurance premiums, rising fuel costs, among others, call for individual strengths to be aligned towards regional stability.

I was fortunate to have many teachers who encouraged me - one of the first was Dianne Derrick, my 5th grade teacher at Woodbury Elementary. She challenged us to write creatively and praised my work, but most importantly, she treated writing like it was important.

The amount of money we spend on education is important, but not nearly as important as how the money is spent.

When I was growing up and going to art school and learning about African-American art, much of it was a type of political art that was very didactic and based on the '60s, and a social collective.

No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.