By Robert Pondiscio, on September 1, 2010
We think of the failure of inner city schools in terms of children who cannot read competently, or who drop out of school. But there is an even greater problem hiding in plain sight: Our worst urban schools are filled with children who come to school prepared and eager to learn yet remain woefully undereducated. Defying easy stereotypes, their parents are highly engaged and care deeply about education. Like the previous generations, they see school as a way for their children to get ahead and earn a piece of the American Dream. They play by the rules and trust our educations system to provide a route to a brighter future.