Policymakers could solve two of our most challenging issues in education with a single approach. Higher base salaries and well-planned monetary incentives would address both the financial burden of being a teacher and the inequities that permeate our education system by attracting and retaining excellent teachers.

Over a dozen high school juniors and seniors from across South Carolina's Aiken County are getting a head start thanks to a new cybersecurity program at Aiken Technical College. By taking six classes in the program, the students are able to earn a cybersecurity certificate, fast-tracking them to entry-level IT jobs or an associate degree in computer technology networking.

Top Texas lawmakers this year are proposing allocating billions of more dollars for public schools, but a portion of those dollars will likely have strings attached. And some education advocates worry the strings will lead to an even greater emphasis being placed on standardized tests in the state.

School systems must provide help for students in need of mental-health services. But Washington County school officials believe a new education measure goes too far, requiring school districts to ensure services that they normally don't provide, including child care, housing referrals, crisis intervention, substance-abuse prevention and treatment, and legal aid.