From a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, by way of The Atlantic: 

A teacher one standard deviation above the mean effectiveness annually generates marginal gains of over $400,000 in present value of student future earnings with a class size of 20 and proportionately higher with larger class sizes. Alternatively, replacing the bottom 5-8 percent of teachers with average teachers could move the U.S. near the top of international math and science rankings with a present value of $100 trillion.

This follows a McKinsey report in 2009 which found that the U.S. raising education levels to those of Korea would improve the economy by a sixth of GDP, or more than $2 trillion.

It’s been very in-fashion to talk about reinvesting in Main Street America and small business, posturing while alluding to, but never directly suggesting a shift away from decades of corporate welfare disguised as healthy American enterprise (thoughts of Weekend at Bernie’s now sadly come to mind). But asking American business to create more domestic jobs, then asking them to fill those spots with a less-than-world-class workforce – is this how we expect to compete in the global economy? 

Of course, trying to resuscitate American business and American education while covering the costs of two wars and a vastly expanding senior population who expect to live well into their 80s and beyond may be a tall order if a few more people don’t start rolling up their sleeves.