We want results in every single classroom so that one single child is left behind.

Education belongs to everybody. High standards belongs to everybody.

I learned some pretty interesting lessons as the governor. And one lesson is that in order for schools to succeed, you'd better have you a good principal.

I want to thank General John Fryer, the Superintendent of Schools here. I thought it was pretty interesting, when I was reading the background of the schools here, I see that you got you a general running the school system.

8,000 Florida teachers have now been retrained since the law came into being. They're retrained on curriculum which work.

It is — it seems like to me a fantastic opportunity for the country to make sure that the desires of this country are met, and that is every child become a good reader.

Now, there are governors around the state and the country that that have said, look, give us the flexibility to be able to dovetail the Head Start program into our preschool programs so that all students — so we have a better control over whether or not the students are given the skills necessary so that when hold us to account we can achieve that which we want to achieve, which is excellence in the classroom.

I appreciate the desire for flexibility, I support the governor's desire for flexibility so long as, one, federal monies going to the states are used only for Head Start. In other words, what we really don't want to do is say we're going to focus on Head Start, the Head Start money goes for, you know, the prison complex — I know that won't happen with Governor Ehrlich, but there needs to be a guarantee that the federal money spent on Head Start, only go to Head Start. Secondly, states and local governments must put money into the program, which would lock in the Head Start money for Head Start. So, the flexibility given to the State would not allow the state's budget flexibility. Governors ought to have that flexibility to hope that Congress will provide that flexibility so that when the accountability systems kick in, fully kick in, that a governor can truthfully say, well, I've had the tools necessary to make sure the Head Start program fits into an overall comprehensive plan for literacy and math for every child in the state of Maryland, in Governor Ehrlich's case.

A good education system is one that is going to mean more likely for any country, including ourselves, to be a freer country, and a more democratic country. And [Pakistan's President Musharraf] is — he's taking on the issue in a way that is a visionary and strong.

In 2001, we passed what's called 'The No Child Left Behind' legislation. I love that phrase, because it's a commitment of our nation to make sure that not only does every child excel, but no child gets left behind. Members of both parties of Republicans and Democrats came together to pass this law.

When I picked the Secretary of Education I wanted somebody who knew something about public education.

You can't cure unless you measure. And there are too many of our children who cannot read and write and add and subtract, and we better figure out how to not only figure out who can't read and write, but how to cure it now, before it's too late.