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August 26, 2025 46 mins

Students are getting ready to head back to school next week. Some have already started classes.


As teachers kick off the new school year, they may ask themselves, “Will I be able to reach that one struggling student? Will I make the difference they need?”


MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a former secretary of the U.S. Department of Education who says teachers saved his life.


Join Angela when she talks with John B. King Jr., who says the best teachers didn't just teach him subjects — they taught him that he mattered, that his voice had value and that his dreams were worth pursuing.


Guest:


  • John B. King Jr. is the chancellor of the State University of New York. He was secretary of the U.S. Department of Education during President Barack Obama’s administration. He has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal and a college professor. He served as New York State Education Commissioner and was the president and CEO of the Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization. And he is the author of "Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives.”
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