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On top of your standard reading, writing and arithmetic core classes, there are six high school courses that either aren't required and should be absolutely mandatory, or are required but need some improvement.

- Personal finance. Most Americans have next to no clue about how to budget and manage their money (hence nearly all of the financial problems we see around us). There's no reason schools shouldn't require a course on personal finance, but virtually no high schools even offer, let alone require, such a course. At best, basic math texts have a section in one chapter that briefly covers it, but only as a learning tool for other concepts.

Require a course where students learn not just how to balance a checkbook, but learn how to make and manage a budget. Teach about pitfalls of living beyond your means and buying too many things you don't need. Teach different saving and investment options. Make sure every student graduates with a working knowledge on how to balance a budget and save money.

- Household basics. Home Economics is an elective in most schools, as is Auto Shop. But I know Harvard graduates that can't cook a box of Hamburger Helper even after reading the instructions, don't know how to change their oil or change a tire, or know when to use bleach or fabric softener in their laundry.

A staggering number of Americans don't know how to cook, clean up stains, or keep a home tidy. Home economics generally covers basic household chores, but casts a wide berth on a variety of marginal subjects. Home economics should be supplanted with a mandatory course that focuses more on household basics.

Make sure every graduate can read and prepare a cooking recipe without trouble. Make sure every kid knows every facet of washing household laundry. Make sure every kid can maintain a car's fluids and tire pressure. Making dinner and doing the laundry should be second nature to the average graduate, not a science project.

- Information systems. Some colleges offer a computer course using all the suites of Microsoft Office, where students work through detailed tutorials for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint. However, none require it, and high school computer classes teach little besides basic usage or hardcore programming, despite most computer usage falling into the untouched middle ground.

Most professions require some usage of a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software or database. Learning these on the job cold turkey puts workers at a disadvantage

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