Perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from my son and daughter-in-law’s teaching experience at a school for international students in Wuxi, China.

The facilities they work in are as modern as any we would find in the U.S. and include a recently completed gymnasium paid for entirely by the local city government because, my kids tell me, “the local government knows that good schools are necessary to attract new business and industry.”

It’s obvious, of course, but too often confused in our state’s economic recession and acrimonious budget building, that investing in schools is an essential element – perhaps THE essential step – to long-term economic health and stability for our state.

If we build and maintain an attractive educational system, they will come – business, industries, jobs, people, tax revenues – all that’s necessary for economic recovery and long-term growth in Michigan.

Michigan will not cut itself to prosperity.  We can only invest our way to a better future, starting with education.