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.

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

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.

Once you talk to your angels you will never feel truly alone ever again in this lifetime.

I never really look at life and worry about missed opportunities.

I would love to meet with the Black Caucus, it's great, the Congressional Black Caucus, I think it's great.

God help me now to preach the Word to all the dying around, and tell them how.

I'm a change agent. And what we're beginning to see is a lot of the establish people, one more time, trying to stop me.

Three cigarettes in, your body already craves it. It is that addictive.

Don't dwell on mistakes, because it will only cause more.

It is the very nature of grace to make a man strive to be most eminent in that particular grace which is most opposed to his bosom sin.

Normally book ideas come to me in a moment.

When I think of that dear rugged cross where the dear Saviour gave his all... When I feel like I'm on my last go round, see me through.