I remember my days at the University of Connecticut where we learned about the latest in technology in buildings that were fit for prisoners. That may be a bit harsh but before I left a new engineering was built – UTEB for United technologies Engineering Building. It was amazing equipped with state of the art SUN workstations instead of a decades old mainframe. It even had air conditioning – which was a big step up from most of the other buildings I had classes in.

By the way -- the UCONN campus is beautiful now – it looks like a country club compared to what us old-timers saw.

But even UCONN can’t hold a candle to the school of the future – 750 lucky Philadelphia students are able to take advantage of a state of the art facility with a MERU Networks wireless LAN and even self-flushing toilets.

Microsoft partnered with the 278 school District of Philadelphia to make this a reality. Hats off to MSFT and the forward looking Philly educational district.

I sincerely hope this school generates tremendous buzz and other schools are built that are even more advanced.

It is time for the US educational system to be the best in the world and a nation that invests in its schools shows the next generation of students how important education is and just as importantly how import technology is to this country’s future.