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

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.

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.

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

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.

...I pray this winter be gentle and kind - a season of rest from the wheel of the mind...

life is unfair, if you are weak, your out

We are small but we are manyWe are many we are smallWe were here before you roseWe will be here when you fall

The case for freedom, the case for our constitutional principles the case for our heritage has to be made anew in each generation. The work of freedom is never done.

We should not rely on our feelings; we had to walk by faith and not by sight. If we preserve in the Lord, we always succeed.

Opportunities are a tricky crop, with tiny flowers that are difficult to see and even more difficult to harvest.

You must have total and impeccable trust in eternity. Whether you like it or not, eternity's in charge, so you might as well trust. You will feel better.

Between lovers a little confession is a dangerous thing.

We are armed with language adequate to describe each leaf of the filed, but not to describe human character.

A tree is a being that is more spiritual than material.