Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction: Yes, Diane, I'm still angry -- There is no achievement gap at birth -- Infinite capacity -- Stuff you never would say: successful literacy instruction in elementary classrooms -- Warm demanders: the importance of teachers in the lives of children of poverty -- Skin-deep learning: teaching those who learn differently -- "I don't like it when they don't say my name right": why "reforming" can't mean "whitening" -- Picking up the broom: demanding critical thinking -- How would a fool do it? Assessment -- Shooting hoops: what can we learn about the drive for excellence? -- Invisibility, disidentification, and negotiating blackness on campus -- Will it help the sheep? University, community, and purpose.

Presents a striking picture of the elements of contemporary public education that conspire against the prospects for poor children of color, creating a persistent gap in achievement during the school years that has eluded several decades of reform.