Education is an issue that's very personal for me, I grew up in a small, rural town and my parents did not have a lot of money, but I was lucky to have public school teachers who taught me to believe that somebody from a little town in Walnut Grove, California could do just about anything if he worked hard and played by the rules. There is no replacement for hard work. I believe that every child deserves to have the same chances I had, and I know a great education starts with a great teacher. A good education is the sturdiest ladder to success and we need to do everything in our power to encourage our young people and make sure they have the chance to go as far as their hard work and God-given talents will take them. Study after study shows that no single factor has a greater impact on the quality of a child's education than his or her teacher, yet too often, teachers are not valued for the professionals they are. Students in poor urban and rural schools are more likely to have less experienced and effective teachers. While the pay for CEOs and other highly paid workers skyrocketed in recent years, teachers continue to earn a fraction of the salaries paid to other educated professionals. In schools, nothing is more important than the relationship between a teacher and a child. I believe that improving our schools is critical to the future of not only our country but our economy. Our future economy depends on a creative generation, not one that only knows math and English, but one that is educated on all areas. For it is the sciences that will lead us to make technological advances beyond our imagination, and it is the social sciences like History that will help us learn from the past so we don’t make them again. As a former athlete and someone who loves to draw, I strongly believe that art and music are as important as math and language arts. It is as important to identify and encourage children with artistic talent as it is those with athletic ability. Our future economy depends on a creative generation. I also consider that closing the achievement gap in our schools is the civil rights issue of our time, for there is no better way to do that then through a proper education. It is a good education that makes it possible for any child to transcend the barriers of race or class or background and achieve their God-given potential. It is education that allows our children to hope for something else. As educators we must promote the ideals of progress and opportunity through public education. We now live in a world where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge. In my mind, education is and will always be the foundation for opportunity.