The Cultural Narrative

There is a crisis in America.

Not all children have an equal chance. In classrooms across the U.S., stereotypes and negativity are undermining student achievement, especially for children of color. For too many of our children, failure has become a self-fulfilling prophecy—with alarming consequences for their education, our economic wellbeing, and society as a whole. It’s a crisis we can no longer afford to ignore.

Our society runs away from this problem. It seems too hard, even unsolvable. It’s much easier to ignore or explain away than to take real action. Many promises. All fall short.

Every year there’s another lofty proposal, a new magical corrective. But nothing makes a dent. Some solutions are well-meaning but misguided. Others are frauds meant to profit at our children’s expense.

The time for excuses has passed. Change is a moral imperative—our life or death challenge. We must run toward the problem and put our necks on the line to save these kids.

A principle on which everyone can agree: Every child is innocent. Every child has good, and it’s our job to find the good and direct it. Regardless of negative narratives and stereotypes, every student comes to the classroom deserving of our full effort and investment. Without commitment, there is no change.

We must do the hard work of building relationships. Child by child. Teacher by teacher. Classroom by classroom.

We already are.