Lessons from Students on Creating a Chance to Dream

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Abstract
For the most part, discussions about developing strategies to solve educational problems lack the perspectives of one of the very groups they most affect — students, especially those students who are categorized as "problems" and are most oppressed by traditional educational structures and procedures. In this article, Sonia Nieto uses interviews to develop case studies of young people from a wide variety of ethnic, racial, linguistics, and social-class backgrounds who at the time interviewed were attending and successfully completing junior or senior high school. By focusing on students' thoughts about a number of school policies and practices and on the effects of racism and other forms of discrimination on their education, Nieto explores what characteristics of these students' specific experiences helped them remain and succeed in school, despite the obstacles. In essence, these are lessons from students, and Nieto believes that in order to reflect critically on school reform, students need to be included in the dialogue. She sets about developing an understanding of multicultural education that is basic for everyone, and is anti-racist, comprehensive, pervasive in the curriculum and pedagogy, based on critical pedagogy, and rooted in social justice.