If children are hungry, they need to be fed. It's hard to learn if your stomach is growling. We need to take that on. If students can't see the blackboard, need eyeglasses, we need to do that. If students need a social worker or counselor to work through the challenges they're facing at home in the community, we need to do that.

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

Schools and districts and unions are working together on some really innovative things.

The cost of college should never discourage anyone from going after a valuable degree.

I think every student needs access to technology, and I think technology can be a hugely important vehicle to help level the playing field.

We need to lengthen the school day. We need to lengthen the school year. Our calendar is based upon the agrarian economy. Children in India and China are going to school 25, 30, 35 more days a year. They're just working harder than us. So, we need more time, particularly for disadvantaged children, who aren't getting those supports at home.

Education is the civil rights issue of our generation.