When considering democratic education, educators talk about teaching the "whole child," creating caring classrooms, building communities of learning where every student has access to knowledge, and teaching students how to be active citizens (Goodlad and Keating 1994; Noddings 2002; Apple 1993). These are not practices that are done "to" students but "with" students in ways that promote understanding different points of view and problem solving, resulting in action that is equitable and forward looking. With the pressures to close the achievement gap and improve school performance, how do teachers find time to embed these practices in the daily activities of the school community? More importantly, how can they afford not to include students' voices in constructive ways? This article describes how this is accomplished at the Jefferson County Open School, a public alternative school near Denver, Colorado, where teachers work to reach and build relationships with students to establish resiliency, connectedness, and democratic practices.