When I ask teachers why they teach, they almost always say that it is because they want to make a difference in the lives of children.

It's fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from sort of white suburban moms who, all of a sudden, their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were, their schools aren't quite as good as they thought they were. And that's pretty scary.

City Year is taking on some of the toughest work in education.

Education is the civil rights issue of our generation.

There's so much that we're doing wrong today. And studies show we're one of three countries that doesn't invest more in disadvantaged communities.

Historically the Department of Education hasn't been doing enough to drive the sustainability movement, and today, I promise that we will be a committed partner in the national effort to build a more environmentally literate and responsible society.

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