Teachers support evaluations based on multiple measures: student growth, classroom observation and feedback from peers and parents.

Almost 24 million children - one in three - are likely growing up without their father involved in their lives.

My vision is that schools need to be community centers. Schools need to be open 12, 13, 14 hours a day six, seven days a week, 12 months out of the year, with a whole host of activities, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

To encourage more top-caliber students to choose teaching, teachers should be paid a lot more, with starting salaries more in the range of $60,000 and potential earnings of as much as $150,000.

Education is the civil rights issue of our generation.

About two-thirds of bachelor's degree holders borrow to go to school, and on average they're graduating with more than $26,000 in debt.

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