The federal government spends roughly six times as much on the military as on education (source: http://www.usgovernmentspending.com). We need a constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to spend more on schools than on the military (unless we are fighting a declared, defensive war).
We obviously need to invest in our children's future. If you don't know that, you haven't spent time enough time around schools lately. Schools are in trouble.
Educational fads come and go, but all teaching strategies work better with more money.
More funding from the federal government would also level the playing field. At the moment, roughly 2/3 of educational spending is local, so people who come from wealthier areas have more government contribution to their education.