I would like to see a nationwide curriculum, beginning in middle school and continuing through high school, based on several cornerstones.  First, there should be an emphasis on community service and internships.  Instilling children with a sense of service early will hopefully allow them to maintain these values throughout life.  Through a mandatory internship program, students can begin early planning for their careers and understand through firsthand experience whether that career is right for them.  As many of you know, many students enter college without a clear plan or even a major.  Through experience, students will have a better idea of their goals and how to achieve them. 

Secondly, there should be mandatory teaching of such basic skills as changing or checking the oil, cooking, washing clothes and dishes, fixing leaky pipes, and other such skills that every person should know.  It is evident many people grow up without ever learning such skills, and these are skills that should be part of one's practical knowledge.

Thirdly, there should be an emphasis on culture.  This would include both local culture and history, as well as global studies and the studies of several languages.  One such tool I would recommend would be live video between classrooms around the planet.  If our children learn the truth about people around the world, their cultures, religion, and customs, then perhaps future generations would not make the same generalizations about others around the world, and the global society could function better as a unit.

Fourthly, there should be an emphasis on teaching proper management of one's finances.  Hopefully through early instruction, future generations could avoid placing themselves in great amounts of debt, and thus limit any borrowing to mortgages, car loans, and student loans.  Too many today live above their means, and perhaps early education can influence students to live within their means.

Finally, there should be greater incentives for people to go into such fields as science, nursing, education, or engineering.  Such incentives could include more scholarships for those who pursue these fields or any other incentives one could think of.  Through this we could possibly come closer to finding cures to diseases and creating alternative forms of energy, as well as improve the quality of education and health care for future generations.

Though the video technology may face some hurdles and could be expensive, the other ideas are relatively cheap.  I hope you consider these ideas and good luck in your presidency.