Even if (kids) make you feel like you simply being near them is intrusive, don't go. Deep down, they need to feel their parents or professionals care about them.

They're average American kids which is really, really important so we can then translate the results to the rest of the country.

We have some special, special kids. I think tomorrow we'll probably be huge underdogs, but we're going to show up and give it everything we've got.

From there it got tough and Canby was very good on the free-throw line. But again, our kids played hard, left tired, but winning second was really nice for them.

What is harmful to kids is to give them a first-year teacher. That is absolutely the wrong thing you can do in terms of learning gains.

[Parents can't get enough of the report cards.] In previous years at the State Fair, ... the department had kids throw beanbag frogs into holes. Last year, we printed out 5,000 school report cards instead. Parents would come up and say, 'I'm thinking of moving, or using open enrollment. Can you print out a report card for this neighborhood school, and the schools close to it?' What a change!