"September 11 is one of our worst days but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country and showed our charitable instincts and reminded us of what we stood for and stand for."
Lamar Alexander
Politician
Lamar Alexander is a prominent American politician known for his influential role in education reform and leadership in the U.S. Senate.
- Born
- July 3, 1940
- Quotes
- 14
- Rank
- #1621
About Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander — Life and Legacy
Lamar Alexander, a significant figure in American politics, has dedicated much of his career to advocating for education reform and effective leadership. As a former U.S. Secretary of Education, he championed policies aimed at improving educational access and quality, emphasizing that education is foundational for opportunity. His quote, 'The best way to improve education is to empower teachers,' encapsulates his belief in the importance of supporting educators as the key to student success. Alexander's core ideas revolve around local control and community involvement in education. He argues that when local leaders are empowered to make decisions, they can better address the unique needs of their students. This perspective is evident in his advocacy for policies that prioritize flexibility and innovation in schools, challenging the one-size-fits-all approach often seen in federal education initiatives. Today, his insights remain relevant as discussions about educational equity and reform continue to evolve. Alexander's commitment to fostering a collaborative environment in education highlights the ongoing need for leaders who prioritize the voices of educators and communities in shaping the future of learning.
Quote collection
Lamar Alexander quotes
14 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"The idea of windmills conjures up pleasant images - of Holland and tulips, of rural America with windmill blades slowly turning, pumping water at the farm well ... But the windmills we are talking about today are not your grandmother's windmills. Each one is typically 100 yards tall, two stories taller than the Stature of Liberty, taller than a football field is long."
"Sooner or later, I need to begin to do what any candidate does in a presidential race; I need to begin to win."
"I need to know the price of a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs. I need to know right now."
"The goal with a big piece of social legislation is to have a bipartisan result, so the country will accept it"
"It is a rare American who does not have some story about how music has made our lives richer and more interesting, how it has changed our moods, brought out the best in our character and even sometimes helped us earn a living."
"I think we do better as a country when we go step by step toward a goal, and the goal in this case should be reducing health care costs."
"If Mr. Bush and Mr. Forbes don't get most of the votes, they should be arrested for wasting money"
"If we trust parents to choose child care for their children, and we trust them to help their children choose a college to attend – and both those systems have been so successful – why do we not also trust them to choose the best elementary or high school for their children?"
"Put too many one-size-fits-all jackets on Americans and the place explodes."
"Americans are sick of the idea of the government taking over everything and trying to run it. We don't know how to run a bank, a car company."
"It is ironic that Samuel Berger learned of this espionage in exactly the same month that Al Gore was attending his now famous fund-raiser with Buddhist nuns in Southern California."
"Americans wouldn't do that [cashing out the same day]. Then they would be in the great old thing we used to call the marketplace. You know, we have hundreds of millions of stock shares floating every day. People buy them and sell them and trade them."
"There are a growing number of conservatives and Republicans who, while they support the president and support the war in Iraq wonder how many of these nation-building wars we're going to engage in and what the parameters are of that."