What helps great public school teachers persevere--in spite of everything? Sonia Nieto, a renowned teacher educator, takes a close look at what can be learned from veteran teachers who not only continue to teach but also manage to remain enthusiastic about it. This inspirational volume provides much-needed advice on how some urban teachers are solving the everyday challenges of student learning. Nieto collaborates with experienced teachers in urban schools who are especially effective working with students of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds--students who are among the most marginalized in our public schools. Offering an alternative vision of what's important in teaching and learning, Nieto concludes with an urgent call to advance new national priorities for public education.