To the editor:

America has numerous problems waiting to be fixed or not to be fixed; some expand internationally. I am a firm believer of starting from the ground up. That means rebuilding our education system, not just fixing or tweaking but rebuilding completely. Our numbers do not compare well to other countries in terms of cost per student and success. Why is this? Well, it’s all about the program we fund, and it’s not working.

My suggestions include a more specialized education for every student, and classes devoted to teaching and understanding of consilience. Every kid learns differently and every kid has a special talent. In our current system kids have a hard time finding their talents and, if they do, it’s too late to give them the courses required to pull them in and interest them in that particular subject or area. Consilience will do just that. Consilience is the unity of knowledge and what I believe should be a subject in itself taught in public schools around the country.

Turns out very few people know about this and it is a shame because it really does give you an idea of how all knowledge relates to all other knowledge. I don’t have space to expound on what it can do for you and our children so I am going to suggest a book, the only book on this topic. The book is called “Consilience” by Edward Wilson.

We need to make that first step toward improving our education right here in Lawrence then expand it throughout our country.