I'm Dr. Mark Schultz, running for school committee in the town of Natick, Massachusetts

America is facing a huge debt crisis at all levels of government. While it has not yet impacted the quality of education in Massachusetts, rest assured that it is only a matter of time. When it does, only a few options will be available and they all come down to lowering service levels or reducing costs. Service levels can be lowered through increasing classroom sizes, reducing non-essential courses such as art, music and advanced placement courses. Costs can be lowered by modifying teachers contracts to reduce pay rates or benefits packages, charging extra for more services such as transportation, trips or sports. But even with these steps, budget shortfalls are likely to remain. Perhaps voters can be convinced to pay more, however when taxes at all levels are increasing and many people consider reducing deficit spending in government the first priority, this is not likely. An entirely new approach to education is needed, one which reduces costs drastically without reducing quality. Is this a fantasy? No, individualized instruction based on technology is just a few years away. Enabling technologies are already in daily use, what's needed is the will to integrate them and push them to the next level.   Will this happen? I believe it's inevitable. There will be resistance however.

This picture was taken about 5 years ago at Wildwood NJ. Note the lack of a beard. Our family was going to Washington, DC to introduce our son to the history and grandeur of our great country as kept in the various Smithsonian Museums.