--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Way back last summer I asked some of the…" description: "\"Way back last summer I asked some of the most outstanding educational minds in this Nation to tackle this problem. I gave them a single instruction: fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/lyndon-b-johnson-684_divides_way-back-last-summer-i-asked-some-of-the_217448.jpg" --- # Way back last summer I asked some of the most outstanding… ![“Way back last summer I asked some of the most outstanding educational minds in this Nation to tackle this problem. I gave them a single instruction: find out how we can best invest each education dollar so that it will do the most good. Your support and the support of every leading education group…” quote by Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/lyndon-b-johnson-684_divides_way-back-last-summer-i-asked-some-of-the_217448.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/lyndon-b-johnson-684_divides_way-back-last-summer-i-asked-some-of-the_217448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/lyndon-b-johnson-684_divides_way-back-last-summer-i-asked-some-of-the_217448.jpg) > “Way back last summer I asked some of the most outstanding educational minds in this Nation to tackle this problem. I gave them a single instruction: find out how we can best invest each education dollar so that it will do the most good. Your support and the support of every leading education group proves that they did their job better than I had hoped, because for the first time we have succeeded in finding goals which unite us rather than divide us.” [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asked top educators to determine the most effective use of education funding, resulting in shared goals that unite rather than divide. **In simple terms:** Experts were tasked to find the best way to spend education money, leading to common, unifying goals. Key Takeaway Use data‑driven strategies to align education spending with shared outcomes. Themes education collaboration policy impact leadership Mood optimistic determined Type policy inspirational When to use this quote - school budgeting - grant programs - national education reform - community outreach Key Concepts public policy resource allocation collective decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance national priorities with community specifics? - What metrics best capture “most good” in education? A Different Perspective May overlook local needs in favor of national consensus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [The experts spent a great deal of time and study working out a formula which would be fair to every State and fair to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/the-experts-spent-a-great-deal-of-time-and-study-working-out-a/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Parents should be told that if they invest in the education and upbringing of a girl child, she will also make contributions for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharmila-tagore/parents-should-be-told-that-if-they-invest-in-the-education-and/) [Sharmila Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharmila-tagore/) > [“In the long run, the best way to reduce inequalities with respect to labor as well as to increase the average productivity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-piketty/in-the-long-run-the-best-way-to-reduce-inequalities-with-respect-to/) [Thomas Piketty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-piketty/) > [“If we dont invest in education today how can we learn to make a brighter future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-wells/if-we-dont-invest-in-education-today-how-can-we-learn-to-make-a/) Terrence Wells > [Politics and government have been a terrible place to invest; education has been a terrible place to invest, but that is because the entrenched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wilson/politics-and-government-have-been-a-terrible-place-to-invest/) [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) > [Everything in life and business, you only earn more if you become more valuable. Because if you can do more for people than anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/everything-in-life-and-business-you-only-earn-more-if-you-become-more/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [President Obama believes in a country where we invest in education, in roads and bridges, in science and in the future, so we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/president-obama-believes-in-a-country-where-we-invest-in-education-in/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [When you have kids that have no jobs and are not in school, too often they get themselves into trouble. So what we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/when-you-have-kids-that-have-no-jobs-and-are-not-in-school-too-often/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If we don't invest in education we'll continue to be dead last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-justice/if-we-don-t-invest-in-education-we-ll-continue-to-be-dead-last/) [Jim Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-justice/) > [Hillary Clinton understands that we have to invest in education and jobs for our young people, not more jails or incarceration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/hillary-clinton-understands-that-we-have-to-invest-in-education-and/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [What I believe is the more we can do for the middle class, the more we can invest in you, your education, your skills,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/what-i-believe-is-the-more-we-can-do-for-the-middle-class-the-more-we/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If we want to invest in the prosperity of our nation, we must invest in the education of our children so that their talents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/if-we-want-to-invest-in-the-prosperity-of-our-nation-we-must-invest/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If you invest in education and training of our young people, what you do is you increase the future economic capacity of the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-albanese/if-you-invest-in-education-and-training-of-our-young-people-what-you/) [Anthony Albanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-albanese/) > [Invest in yourself, in your education. There's nothing better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-porter/invest-in-yourself-in-your-education-there-s-nothing-better/) [Sylvia Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-porter/) > [Education is not something that the government invests in. Because if you invest in education, no politician can come and tell you something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelique-kidjo/education-is-not-something-that-the-government-invests-in-because-if/) [Angelique Kidjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelique-kidjo/) ## More by Lyndon B. Johnson > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Each year more than 100,000 high school graduates, with proved ability, do not enter college because they cannot afford it. And if we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/each-year-more-than-100-000-high-school-graduates-with-proved-ability/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject itself, or know where to find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/knowledge-is-of-two-kinds-we-know-a-subject-itself-or-know-where-to/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [We come to reason, not to dominate. We do not seek to have our way, but to find a common way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/we-come-to-reason-not-to-dominate-we-do-not-seek-to-have-our-way-but/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. First, let her think she's having her own way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-have-learned-that-only-two-things-are-necessary-to-keep-one-s-wife/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [For me, it is a deep personal tragedy. I know that the world shares the sorrow that Mrs. Kennedy and her family bear. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/for-me-it-is-a-deep-personal-tragedy-i-know-that-the-world-shares-the/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Today, 8 million adult Americans, more than the entire population of Michigan, have not finished 5 years of school. Nearly 20 million have not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/today-8-million-adult-americans-more-than-the-entire-population-of/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Republicans simply don't know how to manage the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/republicans-simply-don-t-know-how-to-manage-the-economy/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [I don't believe I'll ever get credit for anything I do in foreign affairs, no matter how successful it is, because I didn't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-don-t-believe-i-ll-ever-get-credit-for-anything-i-do-in-foreign/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [There are no favorites in my office. I treat them all with the same general inconsideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-are-no-favorites-in-my-office-i-treat-them-all-with-the-same/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [I'm the only president you've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-m-the-only-president-you-ve-got/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [I am afraid, ... that health begins, after seventy, and often long before, to have a meaning different from that which it had at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-am-afraid-that-health-begins-after-seventy-and-often-long-before-to/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [The family is the corner stone of our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/the-family-is-the-corner-stone-of-our-society/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Never make a speech at a country dance or a football game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/never-make-a-speech-at-a-country-dance-or-a-football-game/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets. America and Israel have a common love of human freedom and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/our-society-is-illuminated-by-the-spiritual-insights-of-the-hebrew/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) [Explore all 411 Lyndon B. Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) ## More Divides quotes > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [ \[In science any model depends on a pre-chosen taxonomy\] a set of classifications into which we divide the enormous complexity of the real world...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/in-science-any-model-depends-on-a-pre-chosen-taxonomy-a-set-of/) [Kenneth E. 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I shall respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siad-barre/i-did-not-come-to-power-to-divide-somali-but-to-unite-them-and-i-will/) [Siad Barre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siad-barre/) > [One principal reason why men are so often useless is that they neglect their own profession or calling, and divide and shift their attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathanael-emmons/one-principal-reason-why-men-are-so-often-useless-is-that-they/) [Nathanael Emmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathanael-emmons/) > [The forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-forces-that-divide-us-are-not-as-strong-as-those-that-unite-us/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Fascists divide in two categories: the fascists and the anti-fascists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ennio-flaiano/fascists-divide-in-two-categories-the-fascists-and-the-anti-fascists/) Ennio Flaiano > [The way most people approach business - and the way they mostly teach in business school - involves the analytical mind. 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It goes to the worthy, who can divide the word of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/he-swift-don-t-win-the-race-it-goes-to-the-worthy-who-can-divide-the/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I divide all literary works into two categories: Those I like and those I don't like. No other criterion exists for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-divide-all-literary-works-into-two-categories-those-i-like-and/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) Browse all 662 Divides quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Way back last summer I asked some of the most outstanding educational minds in this Nation to tackle this problem. I gave them a single instruction: find out how we can best invest each education dollar so that it will do the most good. 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