The American education system for too long has been a house divided between K-12 education and higher education.

Beyond the traditional role of colleges and universities to train teachers for the K-12 ranks, there is little interaction between the two.

The time has come for that to change.

In a recent address, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan urged colleges and universities to become more involved in improving underperforming schools, encouraging universities to form partnerships with local school districts, improve teacher education and even consider establishing their own charter schools.

Secretary Duncan is not the first person to identify a greater role for colleges and universities in K-12 education.