I think this is an issue of healing and making sure everybody feels good about a shared vision for the future. I think that's very important. That's what I intend to do.

If I bring everybody in, they'll get the message that they're ready to go back out and say, 'This is the hill we're going after,' ... I'm a good listener and I value the things employees and parents would want to say to me.

We have to roll up our sleeves.

My first and most important goal is to accelerate gains in student performance. We have to roll up our sleeves. We have to redouble our efforts.

When you are studying to be a priest, saving souls is supposed to be what you're all about. You can see how that gets translated to saving kids.

The pattern that you will find in the people I appoint is they have extraordinary people skills.

Art, music -- all those things that we all know contribute to the full development of a young person and can actually accelerate gains in academic areas -- we can't just put those aside.

There is a just a lot of buzz around charters here – it's as if charters are the only option for change, ... Other ways could be explored.

I'm 59. If I'm ever going to do this again, do it now.