It will be a high priority for me that the people who are developing research models work in a more collaborative, ongoing way with practitioners and policymakers. In addition, the people involved in international research are putting what we're doing in a broader perspective. This is very important because it gives us exposure to ideas that may be very different from what we've done here. We also have a responsibility to support people in other countries. We live in an affluent, powerful country and I think we have a responsibility to use that in supportive ways.
Popular surveys show that the public is concerned about education.
I think the concern is real. I think there's frustration among policymakers. They say they know what to do, but I don't know if deep down they're so confident. When you are in Washington, D.C., or Sacramento, you are so far from what happens in the classroom. I don't think they're saying that cynically because they want to be re-elected.