Why is literacy education so important to the future success of billions of young children? It is important because after 3rd grade, the likelihood that a student who is below grade level in reading can catch up diminishes greatly. That is way failure is not an option in the field of literacy education. It is also why there is so much emphasis on high stakes testing and talk of a system of standards (common core) approach to teaching. But, will further standardization of testing really enable teachers to account for every child’s learning? Or, will it continue to divide us on what is best for the individual and well as the collective when it comes to education in the U.S? Here is one take on this very important topic in education. tlb