Wendy Kopp

“Few things are more important to our country's future than recruiting and keeping great teachers in our schools.”

“The teachers are trying to build the same culture in the classroom as we're building in the organization.”

“People are everything in education, just as in the corporate world.”

“Teach For China recruits top American and Chinese college graduates, like 26-year-old Yang Xiao, to teach in the country's most disadvantaged schools.”

“More often than not, the most effective leaders have been shaped by teaching successfully in high needs classrooms. Because of their experience, they know that it is possible for low-income children to achieve on an absolute scale and understand what we need to do to allow them to fulfill their potential.”

“We aspire to be equal opportunity, but all across the country where a student is born, their race, their class affect where they end up.”

“We're looking for people out there who have demonstrated that they are leaders, have track records of achievement, and want to be part of a force... of a much larger force of determined people who want to bring about, ultimately, institutional change.”

“We're not trying to be the only route into teaching. We do put enormous energy into understanding what differentiates the most successful teachers.”

“School boards can be a steppingstone to higher forms of political leadership.”

“The idea that computers can ever replace teachers and schools reveals a deep lack of understanding about the role leadership plays in student success.”

“Effective teacher support in my mind is the same thing as effective management. Our teachers need strong management, just like anyone in any profession.”

“Technology has enormous potential to address educational needs more efficiently, help teachers improve their performance, and enrich and individualize student learning.”

“Across the globe, disadvantaged children are not living up to their potential because if they attend school at all, the schools are usually not designed to meet their extra needs.”

“There's no how-to guide for how to change the world. But it's easy to get hung up by misconceptions about what it takes to make an impact.”

“We look for people who demonstrate perseverance in the face of challenges, the ability to influence and motivate others - people who want to work relentlessly to ensure that kids who are facing the challenges of poverty have an excellent education.”

“Imagine how different those classrooms could be if hundreds of Nigeria's most talented recent graduates and professionals channeled their energy not only into the country's banks, but into making education in the country a force for transformation.”

“Kids in urban and rural areas face so many challenges, and they show up at schools that don't have the extra capacity or extra resources to meet their needs.”

“We collaborate with other countries on issues like public health and climate change because we understand these issues affect our collective welfare.”

“Education must be the only sector that hasn't already been completely revolutionized by technology.”

“It's possible to train great people, but a person with great training who doesn't have certain characteristics is only going to go so far.”