If Mississippi lawmakers had the magic fix to all of the state&8217;s problems, would they use it?

Surely, you&8217;d think. But they haven&8217;t.

The problems in our state &8212; which continually brings up the rear on most important rankings &8212; can all be traced back to one thing: education.

A good education gives a child endless opportunities. A good educational system helps attract industries and businesses. And a good educational foundation provides tomorrow&8217;s leaders.

Our lawmakers have 14 days to recognize the magic fix and take advantage of it.

The Legislative Budget Committee must have a budget plan by Dec. 15 to present to January&8217;s new Legislature, and committee members&8217; current argument is over educational funding.

If they again decide to undercut educational funding &8212; on the K-12, community college or university level &8212; they&8217;ll be saying &8220;no&8221; to the future.

The K-12 educational leader, Hank Bounds, wants to partner with community and junior colleges to reduce high dropout rates in the state. He has a plan; he needs the money.

The current plan and the current funding aren&8217;t working. It&8217;s time to fully fund education and try something new.

Once the money is there, if the state holds teachers and administrators accountable, we&8217;ll all be able to sit back and watch the magic happen.