For decades, General Motors was the heart of the American economy. Then in early 2009, the one-time market leader in the automobile industry found itself on the brink of insolvency. More recently, GM has been in the news once again, this time touting its back-on-its feet strategy. Our K-12 education system could learn a few lessons from the business dynasty's failures, and more importantly, from the savvier overseas car companies that nearly put it out of business.