Sec. Arne Duncan, 07/23/12

U.S. Secretary of Education

As Tennessee has shown, our children, our teachers, and our country will be better off when school leaders and educators finally undertake the challenging task of creating a meaningful and useful system for supporting and evaluating our nation's teachers.

Sheila C. Johnson, 07/23/12

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Filmmaker

Over the last 30 years, our understanding of AIDS has improved dramatically, bringing us to a point of unprecedented possibility and hope. Now is the time to build on that momentum, and end the epidemic for good.

Richard Whitmire, 07/22/12

Veteran newspaper reporter, Author of The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation’s Worst School District

Americans continue to lose faith in their public schools, a Gallup poll reported recently. Less than a third of Americans said they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in schools. Why the drop?

Kenneth H. Mayer, M.D., 07/23/12

Medical Research Director, Fenway Health; Co-Director, Fenway Institute

At the XIX International AIDS Conference coming up this week in Washington D.C., the main question will be this: Do we have the political will to finally make antiretroviral drugs available to all who need them?

Stephen Siancore, 07/23/12

Co-Founder and Principal of Atrevida Partners, LLC

Africa is at a critical juncture. With new signs of economic progress, it is possible to envision a much different future for the continent. However, we are not there yet.

Patricia McGuire, 07/23/12

President, Trinity Washington University

Humans can live in the wilderness quite safely so long as they don't provoke the wildlife. Sadly, in what we call civilization, we live in greater fear each day of an unprovoked human attack.

Michel Sidibé, 07/20/12

Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

The global AIDS response would never have reached where it is today without the courageous, inspiring and consistent action and activism by the LGBT community over the last 30 years. But the AIDS epidemic is still tragic.

Susan Blumenthal, M.D., 07/23/12

Public Health Editor at HuffPost and Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General

Of great concern right now is that the remarkable progress toward ending AIDS that has been made over the past decades is being threatened by a decline in resources and the threat of budget cuts to support HIV research and services worldwide.

Richard N. Haass, 07/19/12

President, Council on Foreign Relations

The failure to renew the diplomatic mission being led by Kofi Annan (with its associated group of observers) is no great loss. The peace plan under which Annan was operating had and has no chance of being accepted.

Aubrey Sarvis, 07/23/12

Executive Director, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

Committed and strong leadership from the Pentagon was one of the key components of winning
the repeal of DADT. Likewise, it will require the same determination and leadership to ensure its
successful implementation.

Rev. Al Sharpton, 07/19/12

President, National Action Network

While many of us think the epidemic of HIV/AIDS has greatly diminished and is no longer the death sentence that it once was, certain communities and groups of people are suffering beyond belief.

Chi Mgbako, 07/20/12

Clinical Associate Professor and Director, Leitner International Human Rights Clinic, Fordham Law School

As states distribute free condoms to promote public health while arresting those suspected of engaging in sex work for possessing them, they waste resources and muddle public messaging about the necessity of practicing safe sex.

Janaye Ingram, 07/20/12

DC Bureau Chief, National Action Network

"Is marching still effective in 2012?" Yes. The problem is most people see no use for it until they are REALLY distressed by something and then they are motivated to march and rally.

David J. Cross, 07/19/12

Former journalist; blogger, Movoto.com

This month Batmania is set to kick back into overdrive. We thought it would be an appropriate time to ask a question only true fanboys and fangirls would want to know: How much does Wayne Manor cost?