ABSTRACT
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) translates into horrendous dropout rates between freshman and senior year; and in schools like mine thirty to forty percent of the students who continue through senior year are left behind through little fault of their own. Public schools are challenged by countless privatization schemes, including vouchers, tuition tax credits, so-called choice, and by charter schools, even though alternatives may further disadvantage those who have the least advantages. This chapter offers ways to truly support teachers in providing high-quality and equitable education for all children. The perception that schools do less for children considered outside the mainstream culture is part of the appeal of NCLB. The messages of NCLB to families regarding public education have been particularly destructive. Teachers, teacher educators, and community members have sought to strengthen public education by grappling openly and collaboratively with the complex issues involved in providing respectful and equitable educational experiences for all children in all communities.
