Arne Duncan: “Closing schools is an absolute last resort.”

The goal here is not to reopen schools, the goal is to stay open.

Let me be really clear: what many states on a voluntary basis have done, including your state, is raise standards.

The bad news is that we still have unacceptable opportunity gaps in America.

We are very intentionally targeting in these competitions those areas of the greatest need, not of the greatest grant writers, not of the greatest wealth.