Lt Governor Healey, Attorney General Reilly and Middlesex DA Martha Coakley visited Lowell High yesterday for a press conference to promote proposed legislation that would, among other things, require education officials to be informed whenever a student is arrested. This is a good thing. It's based on a practice Reilly started as Middlesex DA back in the 1990s after a Lowell teenager died in a gang-related murder. Weekly meetings gather police, prosecutors, probation officers, and school department officials to discuss arrests but also to identify potential problems and to develop strategies to diffuse such problems before they get out of hand. Coordination like this is crucial to improving academic performance. Most of the problems in schools are caused by factors outside of school. Other personnel, such as social workers, code inspectors, and the health department, should also be meeting with educators. Unfortunately, non-education agencies of government often take a hands off approach to education. This is a mindset that must change for education reform to succeed.