Speeches

Finding Your Passion: Remarks by Secretary Arne Duncan at the Benjamin Banneker High School Commencement

Good afternoon, students, parents and teachers.

I am here today to celebrate your success and Banneker's success. They often say that success has many parents.

Your success is earned, first of all, from your hard work and perseverance -- qualities that are in each of you -- and so I begin by saluting you, the class of 2010.

Prepared for Success: Remarks by Secretary Arne Duncan at the Clark Montessori Junior High and High School Commencement

Congratulations to the Class of 2010—all of your hard work has paid off. Thank you not just for your commitment to earning your diploma but for committing to go to college.

I want to especially thank Principal Rupa Townsend, who is doing a great job, and all of the teachers and parents and friends who helped these graduates every step of the way.

International Engagement Through Education: Remarks by Secretary Arne Duncan at the Council on Foreign Relations Meeting

Thank you for inviting me to join you today. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with this distinguished group.

The Lasting Impact of Teachers: Commencement Remarks of Secretary Arne Duncan at Lesley University

Thank you, President Moore, for that generous introduction and for this honorary degree, which I will treasure. I feel so honored to share the stage today with distinguished artists and great leaders like Vicki Kennedy, Professor Chinua Achebe, and Roz Chast.

The Wisconsin Idea

Thank you, Chancellor Martin. It's a great pleasure and honor to be here today at the Kohl Center. But I admit to speaking with some trepidation. The truth is that the Badger Herald has set a high bar for my address.

Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the University of Richmond Commencement

To our graduates and to their families who supported them every step of the way, congratulations, I am honored to be with you today.

Celebrating Success

It is a pleasure to be here today to do something which I think we do too little of in the field of education—and that is to celebrate success.

Looking in the Mirror

Thank you for that gracious introduction President DeGioia—and thanks to Parenting magazine for sponsoring not only this special event but for honoring the critical importance of parental involvement in our nation's schools.

Success as the Norm

I have a confession to make tonight. I am getting impatient with talking about "islands" of educational excellence. If no man is an island, no school should be either.

Keeping the Promise to All America's Children

President Obama and I believe that every child deserves a world-class education. When the president says every child, it is not just rhetoric--he means every child, regardless of his or her skin color, nationality, ethnicity, or ability. The truth is, however, that virtually everyone professes to believe that all children deserve a world-class education.