One of the most powerful tools for empowering individuals and communities is making certain that any individual who wants to receive a quality education can do so.

When nearly a third of our high school students do not graduate on time with their peers, we have work to do. We must design our middle and high schools so that no student gets lost in the crowd and disconnected from his or her own potential.

The US government should not be in the business of discrimination.

It's our responsibility to pass on what we inherited, not to squander it, but to build on it.

Vernon Reis opened the world to me through books. He taught me that while I was physically firmly planted in blue-collar Auburn, Washington in the 50s and early 60s, intellectually I could go anywhere, explore anything, and sample exciting new ideas simply by opening a book.

Education exposes young people to a broader world, a world full of opportunity and hope.

I want to work on respecting individuals' dignity. Equal rights, that's where my heart is. That means equal rights and benefits, and that's what we need.