But he had his own sort of magic that lifted the lad from the slums through the American educational system to eventually a scholarship to Harvard, where he gained a doctorate.

ECONOMIST: Robert Merton | The

We can talk all we want about aggregate demand and what it will take to pull us out of our jobs and housing depression, but the key to longer term prosperity and American leadership in the world is improving our broken educational system.

FORBES: Why Fixing America's Schools Means Increasing Teacher Productivity

Board of Education decision put America on a path toward equal educational opportunity, America's educational system has undergone a remarkable transformation, and many African American children who attended the substandard segregated schools of the 1950s have grown up to see their children attend integrated elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

The Chilean System of Evaluation and Certification of Studies has become a model of educational accreditation among the Latin American countries.

UNESCO: Country Profile: Chile