Dive Brief:

• Retired four-star general Colin Powell spoke at Friday's TIME Summit on Higher Education, saying that America's schools and higher ed institutions could learn a thing or two from its military.
• Specifically, Powell said the nation should invest in the education and growth of its youth the way its military invests in the education and growth of soldiers, and that more discipline may provide the structure necessary to curb dropout rates and and improve outcomes.
• The former secretary of state added that Congress is failing the nation's young people by refusing to reach across the aisle, and that education isn't as complicated an issue as legislators make it seem.

Dive Insight:

Powell makes several great points, particularly when it comes to Congress. According to him, Americans should stop waiting for "Superman or Superwoman to come and fix this" and get started on the right path by voting out ineffective lawmakers. Would a more rigid structure benefit students, as well? While we don't advocate a militarized education system—and Powell more than likely isn't either—a little more structure and discipline never hurt anyone.