In Obama's Words

Obama participates in Univision town hall

Now, here's what's also important -- that eight out of 10 future jobs are going to require more than a high school education. They're going to require some sort of higher education, whether it's a community college, a four-year college, at the very least some job training and technical training -- all of which means nobody -- nobody -- can drop out. We can't afford to have anybody here at Bell drop out. We can't have anybody drop out anywhere in the country.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama holds a discussion on the economy

A lot of folks think it's an easy way to score political points is by trying to act as if there's a "them" and an "us," instead of just an "us."”

• Other issues:Economy

Obama Speaks to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens -- and my fellow Americans, we have everything we need to be that nation.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics, Social Issues

Obama delivers remarks on education at National Urban League

An education is not something you just tip your head and they pour it in your ear. You've got to want it. You've got to reach out and claim that future for yourself.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama delivers remarks on the future of education in Boston, Mass.

Unfortunately, the reality is too many students are not prepared across our country. Too many leave school without the skills they need to get a job that pays. Today, as many as a quarter of American students are not finishing high school -- a quarter. The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. And America has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree. We used to be number one, and we're now number nine. That's not acceptable. The most effective way to create jobs in this country is to change those statistics.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama holds a town hall at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

The Republican budget that was put forward I would say is fairly radical. I wouldn't call it particularly courageous. I do think Mr. Ryan is sincere. I think he's a patriot. I think he wants to solve a real problem which is our long-term deficit. But I think that what he and the other Republicans in the House of Representatives also want to do is change our social compact in a pretty fundamental way.”

• Other issues:Economy, Government and Politics

Obama signs the Executive Order on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

In just a single generation, America has fallen from first to ninth in college completion rates for all our students. Now this is not just a Latino problem. This is an American problem. We've got to solve it. Because if we allow these trends to continue, it won't just be one community that falls behind. We will all fall behind together.”

• Other issues:Education, Social Issues

Obama delivers remarks at the Community College Summit with Dr. Biden

We can't accept less investment in our young people if our country is going to move forward. It would mean giving up on the promise of so many people who might not be able to pursue an education, like the millions of students at community colleges across this country.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama delivers remarks on higher education and our economy

But I want you to know, when I look out at you, when I look into the faces of America's young men and women, I see America's future and it reaffirms my sense of hope, it reaffirms my sense of possibility.”

• Other issues:Economy, Education

Obama Takes Questions at Town Hall in Los Angeles

Because we know that enhancing America's competitiveness will require reducing our dependence on foreign oil and building a clean energy economy, this budget will spark the transformation we need to create green jobs and launch renewable energy companies right here in California.”

• Other issues:Economy

Obama delivers remarks to the National Governors' Association

I always look forward to this event because governors are at the front line of America's recovery. You see up close what's working, what's not working, and where we can take it. And the thing that connects all of us -- and no matter what part of the country we're from and certainly no matter what party we belong to -- is that we know what it means to govern, what it means to make tough choices during tough times, and hopefully to forge some common ground.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama delivers remarks on education in Miami, Fla.

I want all the young people here to listen, because over the next 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs are going to require a level of education that goes beyond a high school degree. So, first of all, you can't drop out. You can't even think about dropping out, can't even think about dropping out.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama delivers remarks on student loans in Chapel Hill, N.C.

We only finished paying off our student loans, check this out, I'm the president of the United States. We -- we only finished paying off our student loans about eight years ago. That wasn't that long ago.”

• Other issues:Economy, Education

Obama holds Twitter townhall meeting

We're not all tied together by ethnicity or a single religion. What ties us together is this idea that everybody has got a shot. As long as you carry out your responsibilities, you can make it. You can get into the middle class and beyond. And you can start a company and suddenly help bring the whole world together. That's what makes this country outstanding. But in order to do that, it requires us to both have a commitment to our individualism and our freedom and our creativity and our idiosyncrasies. But it also requires us to have a commitment to each other, and recognize that I would not be President if somebody hadn't helped provide some scholarships for my school, and you would not have Twitter if the Department of Defense, at some point, and a bunch of universities hadn't made some investments in something that ended up being the Internet. And those were public goods that were invested in.”

Obama participates in a youth Town Hall live on Viacom’s BET, CMT and MTV networks

We've got to be able to have a conversation and recognize we're all Americans; we all want the best for this country. We may have some disagreements in terms of how to get there, but all of us want to make sure that our economy is strong, that jobs are growing. All of us want to make sure that people aren't bankrupt when they get sick. All of us want to make sure that young people can afford an education.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama is interviewed live on NBC Today Show

...I think everybody who looks at this says the single most important ingredient inside the classroom is the quality of the teacher. And there are terrific teachers out there.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama delivers remarks on the economy at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Now, in the State of the Union on Tuesday, I laid out a blueprint that gets us there. Blueprint -- it's blue. That's no coincidence. I planned it that way, Michigan. A blueprint for an economy that's built to last.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama meets with Des Moines family

All right, we're going way afield now. I mean, the -- so let me focus on your question...”

• Other issues:Economy

Obama hosts an on-the-record conference call with college and university student-journalists

You can't suddenly just check in once every 10 years or so, on an exciting presidential election, and then not pay attention during big midterm elections where we've got a real big choice between Democrats and Republicans.”

• Other issues:Education

Obama delivers remarks on new education initiative

We are here today to honor teachers and mentors...who are upholding their responsibility not just to the young people who they teach, but to our country, by inspiring and educating a new generation in math and science.”

• Other issues:Education, Science and Technology