Education is an international must, a veritable human right, yet education--especially higher education--in the land of the free is still remarkably elusive. The author has witnessed the many obstacles associated with preparing students for college. Advanced courses are rarely offered in these schools due to a lack of perceived eligible students, and most instructional time is spent on remediation and preparation for standardized tests. Creativity is not highly valued; instead, obedience and repetition are applauded. Because teacher quality is tantamount to student achievement, the revolving door of teachers in poverty-stricken areas exacerbates the inferior education and also discourages pursuit of higher education. Motivating this population of students means being involved in every aspect of their well-being and, in many cases, monitoring them closely inside and outside of the classroom. This approach is quite different from what these students will experience if they attend college. In this article, the author argues that America must acknowledge that education is a public necessity and not a luxury for the privileged. For this to happen, the nation must address, and treat poverty as a condition that erodes one's future and impedes any attempts at educational reform. (Contains 15 endnotes and a bibliography.)