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The new secretary of education, Arne Duncan, was visiting a charter school in Washington, D.C., with the president and first lady. More school visits are in Duncan’s future, but his focus now is on the economic stimulus package — and the $140 billion currently slated for schools.

Duncan knows that some of that money could be whittled back, so he’s trying to get the message out that Americans must “educate our way to a better economy.”

“Long-term, the best way we bring ourselves back to economic health and really strengthen the economy is to have an educated work force,” he tells Melissa Block. “So these investments are tremendously important, and we have to continue to push very, very hard to make sure that happens.”