If we had in this room a hundred teachers, good teachers from good schools, and asked them to define the word education, there would be very little general agreement.

We can pay teachers a hundred thousand dollars a year, and we'll do nothing to improve our schools as long as we keep the A, B, C, D, F grading system.

Effective teaching may be the hardest job there is.

Prior to being allowed to enter the profession, prospective teachers should be asked to talk with a group of friendly students for at least half an hour and be able to engage them in an interesting conversation about any subject the prospective teacher wants to talk about.

Sex is on the minds of most people, especially those who shouldn't be having it.

This is at the heart of all good education, where the teacher asks students to think and engages them in encouraging dialogues, constantly checking for understanding and growth.

The answer lies in preventing these failures, not in looking for better ways to fix the people who are failing.