Bloomberg References Medford in Education Summit Remarks

Though he may be the most recognizable product of the Medford Public School system, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was definitely not it's most academically successful student, according to remarks he made in a national education summit Monday morning.

At the NBC News Education Nation Summit, Bloomberg, a 1960 graduate of Medford High School, set up the description of his plan for public schools in New York by first looking back on his career as a student in Medford.

"If my teachers back in Medford, Massachusetts a long, long time ago would have been told that some day Mike Bloomberg would be speaking at a national education summit, they probably would not have believed their ears. The truth of the matter is my academic record has always made the top half of the class possible," Bloomberg said at the summit. "Think about that, guys. I do remember my principal in elementary school when I went to her and asked her to sign a paper saying I was a good student for my Boy Scout education merit badge, Mrs. Kelly laughed at me."

“Whether I ever got that education merit badge I have no recollection, but it is great to finally understand the value of education," Bloomberg said. "I may not be the best example of it, but I think all of us recognize that the path to a brighter future runs through our classrooms. That’s why we have made improving education a top priority in New York City. And it’s why we have invested so heavily in our public schools these past nine years."

Read Bloomberg's remarks in their entirety in this release from his press office.