I think the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina.

Whether you look at these recent PISA results, which we are mediocre at best, whether you look at a 25 percent dropout rate in this country, whether you look at, in one generation, we're not doing what we need to be doing to keep America great.

Wherever you find something extraordinary, you’ll find the fingerprints of a great teacher.

I believe that education is the civil rights issue of our generation. And if you care about promoting opportunity and reducing inequality, the classroom is the place to start. Great teaching is about so much more than education; it is a daily fight for social justice.

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

Other countries haves passed us by. They're outworking us. They're outcompeting us. We have got to wake up and we have got to start moving.

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