My understanding is that Kansas, Massachusetts, they've been more pioneers on the special education side.

I mean, one thing I know about change is we are not going to close the achievement gap without educators.

I do think we know that a teacher who knows what he or she is doing, knows their subject matter, and knows how to impart knowledge to kids is a critical piece of closing the achievement gap.

Higher education is confronting challenges, like the economy is, about the need for a higher number of more adequately trained, more highly educated citizenry.

Don't let anyone else take the measure of your worth and capabilities. Always stand proud in who you are!

In Connecticut, my understanding, although I haven't seen the actual litigation, is that they want to measure every other year and not provide annual assessment as is required in the statute.

And I think that we in America need to understand that many schools need improvement, and particularly with respect to how they're serving minority children.

I think it'd be useful for parents to know kind of what is the culture of an institution.

We at the Department of Education are going to provide technical assistance; I've committed $14 million to show states how they might meet this more sophisticated approach.

It's a hard process to navigate... to figure out where your kid ought to go to college.

If all you ever do is all you've ever done, then all you'll ever get is all you've ever got.

Dreams of changing the world could only be realized by properly investing time into learning.

Effectiveness of life should be measured by the results in the area of your calling or purpose

To see what is general in what is particular, and what is permanent in what is transitory, is the aim of scientific thought.

I wanted to be a veterinarian until I saw a video of a vet performing surgery on a dog. Then I decided I wanted to be a pianist.

Nature is full of teeth that come in one by one, then decay, fall out.

I never think about my best interests. I think about what's the right thing to do in a situation.

In visions of the dark night I have dreamed of joy departed-- But a waking dream of life and light Hath left me broken-hearted.

The power of making war often prevents it.

You'll see it when you believe it.

Fame, like the river, is narrowest where it is bred, and broadest afar off.