It's the first day of the school year.

The state's families and policymakers should take the opportunity to remind themselves of the link between education and economic success.

Education and the economy have long been related, but that relationship is growing closer in the age of the global, knowledge-based economy.

Consider the economic value of education to individuals. Among people who earn a college degree, only 3 percent end up in poverty. Nearly 30 percent of people with a high school education or less are poor.

People with a high school diploma earn an average of about $31,000 a year.

People with a bachelor's degree earn an average of more than $54,000 a year.

Consider also the value of education to the state's economy. The UW System has become a chief engine of job growth in the state, as ideas spun from UW labs are turned into businesses.

Dane County, home of UW-Madison, is one of the top 10 metro areas in the nation for job growth in biotechnology, due largely to the expertise at the university.

Microsoft is partnering with UW-Madison to develop a database lab. Microsoft previously bought a Middleton company started by two entrepreneurs who were roommates at UW-Madison.

Google is opening a Madison office to tap local talent produced by UW-Madison.

The list goes on.

The message to Wisconsin families is clear: Make education a top priority in your home.

Ensure that your children appreciate the importance of doing well in school. Support your schools by volunteering.

Even if you have no children in school, understand that your future depends on the next generation. And that generation had better be well-educated.

The message to policymakers is equally clear: Wisconsin's schools, colleges and universities have a vital role to play in the state's economic success.

They should be held accountable for their performance. But they should be given the resources to perform well.

Investments in education pay dividends that enrich students, families and the state.