Particular individuals who might never consider dropping out if they were in a different high school might decide to drop out if they attended a school where many boys and girls did so.

The higher the social class of other students the higher any given student's achievement.

A child's learning is a function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher.

The educational resources provided by a child's fellow students are more important for his achievement than are the resources provided by the school board.

If we refuse to accept as inevitable the irresponsibility and educational unconcern of the adolescent culture, then this poses a serious challenge.

In every school, more boys wanted to be remembered as a star athlete than as a brilliant student.

As an example, one of the schools I have been studying is too small to compete effectively in most sports, but participates with vigor each year in the state music contests.

Children from a given family background, when put in schools of different social compositions, will achieve at quite different levels.

Cultural dominance of middle-class norms prevail in middle-class schools with a teacher teaching toward those standards and with students striving to maintain those standards.

I'd propose that each central-city child should have an entitlement from the state to attend any school in the metropolitan area outside his own district - with per pupil funds going with him.

In a high school, the norms act to hold down the achievements of those who are above average, so that the school's demands will be at a level easily maintained by the majority.

No one lights a lamp in order to hide it behind the door: the purpose of light is to create more light, to open people's eyes, to reveal the marvels around.

Learn how to think a few moves ahead at once. In life, if you can anticipate the human mind, you can anticipate all possible futures.

You cannot forever hide your true face in the shade

Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.

I had a good run here, fifteen years. That's a great run. I'm not saying that I'm done in center field - if I could play there forever, I would. But I know that's not reality, so I'm happy.

I've always read books and loved human behavior since I was ten or twelve years old. Maybe even that's why I wanted to do comedy.

When you meet someone, you can silently send them a blessing, wishing them happiness, joy and laughter. This kind of silent giving is very powerful.

Death is simply a change in perception. It is not an end to perception as a finite being.

If you wonder what the difference between them and me is, I'll break the news: you never heard of them. Most of them ... can fight almost as good as I can. I'm just saying you never heard of them.

Readiness for opportunity makes for success. Opportunity often comes by accident; readiness never does.