“Let's be clear about what Common Core is. It spells out what students ...” — Campbell Brown Quote

Let's be clear about what Common Core is. It spells out what students should know at the end of each grade. The goal is to ensure that our students are sound in math and literacy and that our schools have some basic consistency nationwide. But the standards do not dictate a national curriculum, and teachers are not told how or what to teach.

Perhaps there is no greater evidence that the teachers' union has swung too far out of the mainstream that they both have been a target of near-constant criticism from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

As anyone who has recently seen PG-13 movies knows, the level of violence in them has increased to the point of making the Motion Picture Association of America's voluntary rating system meaningless.

As the ratings go up, so does advertising revenue.

You can measure the warming oceans with a thermometer. You measure sea level rise with a yardstick. You can measure the dramatic increase in acidification with a simple pH test, and you can replicate what excess CO2 does to seawater in a basic high school science lab.

It's much easier for a middle class Indian entrepreneur to start up a computer company than it is for an Indian company to build roads and transportation systems suitable for a population that is getting wealthier and demanding more basic services.

I have a really basic uniform: in winter, black tights and any old dress that I can throw on. In summer, high-waisted jeans and this shirt, or that shirt, and a cashmere cardigan just in case.

I think education is something that is very important no matter what you are doing. It makes you feel secure, independent, and helps you build confidence in yourself. It grooms your whole personality. So if it starts from the basic level; if the basic education that a girl and a boy receive is the same, I think a lot will change.