We are always going to put the best interests of kids above the rights, privileges and priorities of adults.

We've lost our competitive spirit. We've become so obsessed with making kids feel good about themselves that we've lost sight of building the skills they need to actually be good at things.

That should be the goal, is that every kid in every neighborhood, despite whatever challenges they may face, are getting a great education in our public schools.

I think that one thing that people are missing is that we are never going to be able to fix this country's [American] economy in the long run until we fix our public education system.

Creativity is good and whatever. But if the children don't know how to read, I don't care how creative you are. You're not doing your job.

If you grew up in a lower-income community, or less well-off, the belief is that the way to change that circumstance is through education.

An education reformer is as important in America as the first lady.

We all have to have more rigorous expectations of our kids in America.

I'd rather deal with anger than apathy.

Poverty is so significant that we can't expect to overcome the impacts of poverty in schools.

You may not do well, necessarily, up front, and in order to be the best, you've got to work hard.

Motivation gets you started, and inspiration keeps you going.

The opposite of talking isn't listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.

Friendship may, and often does, grow into love, but love never subsides into friendship.

In various fields, such as science, technology, sports, business and the arts, immigrants enrich our culture every single day.

You cannot chase a dollar and an ideal at the same time.

I dedicated myself to the game and never disrespected it.

India, to some extent, courses through my blood. My father was brought up there, and my grandfather served there, and so on. We have a very strong family affinity for the place.

Being a mother has absolutely forced me. You have to write things down and have systems for all of it. And then you set up systems and you realize they don't work.

I do not sleep to dream but dream to change the world

My mom passed away a day before high school started, and her dream was for me to be a full rock and roll guy, and play drums in a band.