Civilizations are not remembered by their business people, their bankers or lawyers. They're remembered by the arts.

Someone once told me I'm a sore winner, and they're right. I rarely take more than a moment to enjoy a success before I'm moving on and looking for the next challenge.

Managers are responsible for setting workplace policies under which teachers can succeed. Managers are responsible for negotiating contracts that create the conditions under which teachers can succeed.

Every artist is unreasonable, because he or she is doing something that hasn't been done before.

A lot of executives act like their time is worth more than anyone else's. But I always respect an employee who guards his or her time, even from me.

If someone can't give me a good reason why you can't do something, I find a way to do it.

Public education is the key civil rights issue of the 21st century. Our nation's knowledge-based economy demands that we provide young people from all backgrounds and circumstances with the education and skills necessary to become knowledge workers. If we don't, we run the risk of creating an even larger gap between the middle class and the poor. This gap threatens our democracy, our society and the economic future of America.