I think it's my job to tell the truth.

What you see around the world is that poverty is not destiny. In other countries, much more systemically, student after student, school after school, year after year, educate poor and disadvantaged young people. And, so, anyone who says that you can't overcome these battles is a huge part of the problem.

A postsecondary education is the ticket to economic success in America.

In America, your zip code or your socioeconomic status should never determine the quality of your education.

We all have a role to play - the President, Congress, parents, students and schools - in making college affordable and keeping the middle class dream alive.

We need to invest in very different ways. Get the students the support they need, get them the best principals, get them the great teachers, and I promise you those students would do extraordinarily well. I have seen it all my life.

The arts significantly boost student achievement, reduce discipline problems, and increase the odds students will go on to graduate from college.