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

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

Even in a time of fiscal austerity, education is more than just an expense.

Surveys show that many talented and committed young people are reluctant to enter teaching for the long haul because they think the profession is low-paying and not prestigious enough.

Money is not the reason that people enter teaching.

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.

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.