When a school fails, options for next steps may seem impossible or nonexistent, leaving school officials unsure of what to do next. “Under No Child Left Behind policies, failing schools face the possibility of 'restructuring,' where half or more of the teachers could be fired or the school closed entirely.” Many times these schools are located in lower economic areas and students face challenges such as “lack of healthcare, increased lead poisoning, iron deficiency anemia, family instability, increased exposure to crime and drugs, fewer role models positive roles and less exposure to drugs". culturally edifying experiences”. The debated question is whether we can change these failing schools for the better. Some people believe it is in students' best interests to close schools and start over. However, others argue that “it may take courage to close schools, but it takes experience, wisdom and tenacity – as well as courage – to improve them and strengthen families and communities.” Research tends to show teachers that students living in poverty will lead to lower academic achievement, forcing teachers to lower their expectations. However, just because a neighborhood isn't affluent doesn't mean there isn't hope for students. An elementary school in Alabama transformed from a school in “an area of ​​Mobile known for high rates of crime and intergenerational poverty” with low scores into a school with “achievement reaching a level more often associated with white, middle-class students ”. The article highlights that schools that successfully pivot have some common characteristics, starting with the primary goal of “helping students learn a lot.” While many schools assume students have all the prior knowledge…half of the paper…hard evidence presented for yes and what seemed to be a weak argument for no, I think it is possible to turn failing schools around . When teachers truly want what is best for students, the process seems to happen successfully. The important part of the process appears to be to allow teachers time to provide quality changes. Telling teachers to work together on planning and improvement will not be helpful unless the school is able to give them structured time during the day to do so. If the class schedule is filled with teaching hours, teachers will not be able to focus on the individual needs of their students and on important things like reviewing their tests with them. I believe that with the right resources and time, it is possible to turn failing schools around and provide maximum benefit to students.