An intimate look at our nation's historically rooted struggle to adequately educate vulnerable children, and a call to action to the privileged who are able to swing wide doors of opportunity. In every society, individuals use strategies to maintain or improve their social position, as well as their children's position. Although these strategies are different for children who face different challenges, the ability to read and write is a common thread in the lives of people considered to be successful by society at large. Reading and writing, however, are not the only practices involved in literacy. Environments of excellence assist learners in gaining multiple literacies and discourses, or the many ways that people make sense of their world, by developing such skills as critical thinking, self-discipline, curiosity, leadership, motivation, responsibility for learning, and school literacy skills. In addition to exploring the legacy of excellence that pulses...