When John B. King Jr. was enlisted by President Barack Obama to come on board as the United States Education Secretary, he knew he only had a short term. He was the replacement for former secretary Arne Duncan.

When Duncan stepped down at the end of 2015, King knew that he will be replaced in a year's time following the exit of Barack Obama after serving two terms as president. He only had a short amount of time but a lot of things to do.

King served as deputy secretary under Arne Duncan, as reported by National Public Radio. And he had endeavoured to protect the children of colour, those who have been traditionally marginalized, students with disabilities, those learning the English language and those who are living in poor conditions or poverty.

During his short term, he pushed for the new federal education law called the Every Student Succeeds Act. In this federal law, Secretary John King fought for protections that would prevent districts from spending funds in low-poverty schools than in their neediest classrooms. While many opposed his views, King stood by his platform to encourage racial and social-economic relationships.

Now, as he prepares to leave his office in two weeks and before Betsy DeVos steps in as the next Education Secretary of the United States, he recalls his short term. At one point, Secretary John King stated that higher education is important and that everyone should prepare and support these students who wish to apply, as reported by Education and Career News. For him, a college degree is a necessity.

And he should know. According to King, schools and educational opportunities can save lives. He was a teacher and a principal. His experiences helped him strive for a better education for the country during his short term.

The video from Education week, below, features U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr.'s speech on Every Student Succeeds Act and more.