Some schools closed long ago do have maintenance problems. But generally, the buildings have been pretty well kept up.

While on the surface all may appear to be well in these schools, if we dig deeper we find that achievement could be better in some subjects, or for some groups of pupils, and that these schools are falling way behind in terms of providing the sort of education we find in our best schools.

There are schools from all over northern California there, so it's very prestigious meet. They have a minimum qualifying requirement for each event, so it's not like you can enter just anyone.

There are a lot of strains on the infrastructure, our roads, our schools, and I think that sometimes the problems haven't been anticipated.

It couldn't have worked out any better. We have had zero problems. At small schools, we have to remind ourselves we're here for the kids. It's not just the wins and losses, but giving kids opportunity.

All these
problems were building up down there. The schools in Louisiana opened the week before
Katrina hit and they were already laying off teachers because they were $45 million in
the hole. Half the people in Louisiana are on welfare or Social Security or some other
kind of assistance, so when the hurricane hit at the end of the month they were all out
of money. It's more than just the hurricane.