In I Can Do Anything, educator and author Nyla Calloway offers more than a beautiful children's story—she reveals a theory of teaching. Through the quiet labor of a Black mother's love, the book illustrates how dignity, possibility, and resilience are first cultivated at home. It reminds us that before children believe in themselves, someone must first believe for them—and that may be the first and most important lesson any child ever learns.

Artificial intelligence is not exposing what is wrong with students—it is exposing what is outdated about schools. As AI reshapes how we learn, teach, and create, the real question is not whether the technology belongs in education, but whether education is prepared for the future it reveals.

In an era when despair has become the dominant narrative in American education, this piece argues that naming failures is no longer enough. It makes the case for a disciplined, evidence-based pedagogy of hope—one capable of building the systems our children actually need.