According to this author, "unchecked capitalism is destroying the nation's public schools, and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is the final nail in their coffin." He argues that, marching under the banner of "accountability," right-wing, pro-business forces are willfully undermining the democratic right of all children to a free, high-quality education, and that, rather than supporting policies designed to reduce poverty and its toxic effects on the ability of children to succeed in school, lawmakers are pursuing the misbegotten path of penalizing schools in poverty-stricken cities and rural areas for their failure to work educational miracles. The author urges educators to rise up and fight to protect public education and democracy, which he believes will both collapse if the society refuses to take the steps necessary to eliminate poverty. (Contains 1 table and 21 notes.)