The cost of college should never discourage anyone from going after a valuable degree.
A postsecondary education is the ticket to economic success in America.
Borrowing to pay for college used to be the exception; now it's the rule.
Surveys show that many talented and committed young people are reluctant to enter teaching for the long haul because they think the profession is low-paying and not prestigious enough.
Research shows that children do better in school and are less likely to drop out when fathers are involved. Engaged parents can strengthen communities, mentor and tutor students, and demonstrate through their actions how much they value their children's education.
We've seen more reform in the last year than we've seen in decades, and we haven't spent a dime yet. It's staggering how the Recovery Act is driving change.
Almost 24 million children - one in three - are likely growing up without their father involved in their lives.
About two-thirds of bachelor's degree holders borrow to go to school, and on average they're graduating with more than $26,000 in debt.
I worry when athletes are simply used by their universities to produce revenue, to make money for them, nothing to show at the back end. I grew up with a lot of players who had very, very tough lives after the ball started bouncing for them. And that's why I'm going to continue to fight.
There was nothing more important I could do than be supportive as a dad.
Young people know how important it is for dads to be involved in their lives. As I travel the country and talk with students, some of them tell me that their lives would be totally different if their father was around.
I think every student needs access to technology, and I think technology can be a hugely important vehicle to help level the playing field.
Whether it's in an inner-city school or a rural community, I want those students to have a chance to take A.P. biology and A.P. physics and marine biology.
So instead of watching TV, we read every night together as a family.
When I ask teachers why they teach, they almost always say that it is because they want to make a difference in the lives of children.
Most teachers still say they love teaching though they wouldn't mind a little more respect for their challenging work and a little less blame for America's educational shortcomings.
Teachers say their schools of education did not adequately prepare them for the classroom. They would have welcomed more mentoring and feedback in their early years.
Teachers support evaluations based on multiple measures: student growth, classroom observation and feedback from peers and parents.
We all have a role to play - the President, Congress, parents, students and schools - in making college affordable and keeping the middle class dream alive.
Money is not the reason that people enter teaching.
