In too many places, community members have abdicated their collective responsibility for education, thinking it only happens in schools. But if their role as citizens is to wrestle with tough problems together, and education is a primary societal function, then it stands to reason that educational accountability focused solely on schools would weaken democracy by leaving nothing (beyond passing levies) for citizens to do. The citizenry that places confidence in an institution is not the same as the public that exercises responsible ownership. Educating children is the work of whole communities. Research by John McKnight of the University of Chicago shows that even communities that don't think they have much going for them have unrecognized or untapped assets. Thinking of education as a lifelong, whole community effort means that, while people support and give schools their due, there is much more people can offer collectively to build a community where educational opportunities are maximized. Only citizens thinking together can map community ideals that pave the way forward. Institutions may act in service to those ideals, but only citizens can decide what should be. Citizens coming together to do the work that only citizens can do, such as collaborating for education in ways that might not seem obvious, become a "dynamic" citizenry. They are a flow of unharnessed resources with implications for education, the exercise of citizenship, and the big topic of educational accountability.