We must be honest about the fact that, while our educational system is extraordinary in so many respects, it is riddled with outrageous disparities. Children from low-income and minority communities face unconscionable educational inequities. And what does the future hold for individuals who are constrained by an inadequate education? The research is clear: They are more likely to live their entire lives in poverty, more likely to lack adequate health care, and more likely to be incarcerated.

Do these harsh statistical realities arise because children who happen to be born into low-income communities are inherently less capable than their more affluent peers? Those of us who have worked in the classrooms on the front lines of the achievement gap know that nothing could be more false. The truth is that our students� potential to succeed is nothing less than extraordinary. The critical question of our time, then, is how do we tap that potential and ensure high levels of achievement for all children?

What I believe is that strong teaching and effective school leadership are key and that high expectations, like low expectations, are a self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe that we can eliminate the inequities that still plague our education system. Every day that we allow these inequities to continue, we turn our backs on those who deserve our attention the most.