Wherever we live, we should foster a constructive dialogue about sexual and reproductive health, and we should support young people when they are brave enough to speak out.

If meanness and hate are ingrained, albeit unfortunate parts of human nature, we must create communities that reinforce our other natural tendencies toward kindness and against meanness.

Teacher Appreciation Week is a good start, but why do teachers get a week while entertainers get our praise, tweets, fan mail and attention 24/7/365? Why do entertainers get red carpets, limousines, Emmys, Oscars, and Grammys, while teachers get apples, cards, plaques, and mugs?

I love that we have a day to recognize Mrs. Holland and the countless teachers like her. But the day also concerns me a little: we spend one day thanking teachers for caring for our nation's children, but we don't always expend the same energy thinking about how to support them as professionals.

Affordable housing and school busing can do little to counter a disruptive family life or a dangerous neighborhood. We need an alternative: public boarding schools.

I developed my cape through engineering, but it is important to remember to help kids find their passions because at just the right height and elevation level, they too will fly.

Changing an infrastructure takes vision, persistence and sufficient resources. To truly change our educational system requires those three elements along with instilling a student-centered culture that is grounded with transparency and individual responsibility rather than on the "blame game."

As critical skills needs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are escalating in today's changing society -- we are challenged to contribute and collaborate in our own communities.