pt. I. RCA's core principles and values : Teach children to believe in themselves and don't destroy the dream ; Not every child deserves a cookie ; Define your expectations and then raise the bar; The more you expect, the better the results will be ; Uplift other adults who play a role in the lives of our children ; Listen ; Give all that you have to your children even though you will often receive nothing in return ; Get to know your students in nonacademic settings ; Be selfless with your contributions to the team ; Make it happen. Don't give excuses; find solutions! ; Be excellent! ; Create moments that will have a lasting impact on children's lives ; Set the tone for a love of learning ; Treat every child as if he or she were your own ; Push yourself to be innovative beyond your imagination ; Know the name of every teacher, student, parent, administrator, and board member ; Use music to excite, motivate, and inspire ; Know your students ; Don't let opportunities pass you by, even if the time, funding, and circumstances aren't completely right ; Make learning magical ; Teach children that the good you do in the world comes back to you ; Teach children to embrace their personalities and present themselves with confidence in all situations ; Live with no fear ; Love what your students love, whether it's iCarly, Twilight, or the NFL ; Create lasting traditions

pt. II. The role of the parent in the success of the child : Be prepared for the long haul if you want your child to succeed ; Don't be a helicopter parent. You can't come to their rescue forever ; Realize the power of gratitude and appreciation ; Remind children of their blessings and stress the value of a strong work ethic ; Nip it in the bud; small issues can grow into big problems ; Don't get your kid a video game system unless you are ready to be a prison guard ; Show them how to study; don't expect it to come naturally ; Realize that even very good children will sometimes lie ; Be patient ; See the potential in every child ; Punctuate the power of words ; Don't be a penny parent

pt. III. Creating the right climate and culture : Welcome students and families to your school in style! Roll out the red carpet--literally!

Believe that every child can learn, regardless of ethnicity, learning disabilities, emotional or behavior problems, or the economic situation of the family

Open your doors to the parents

Dress the part

attire matters!

Make the most of every moment! There should be an urgency in education!

Can the intercom

Please don't interrupt a teacher's lesson to deliver a note, ask a question, or disturb the class

Avoid sitting down while students are in the room

Do not use cell phones or computers while the students are in the room, unless the device is part of the lesson being taught

Make homework for home, not school

Make sure you do your homework, too!

Begin each class on fire!

Increase teacher quality instead of reducing class size

Set an electric tone on day one

Don't constantly stress about test scores. We have to stop sending the message to our students that the purpose of learning is to take a test

Open up your home to your students

Stay connected

have parents on speed dial

Give children a chance to respond and don't give up so quickly

Realize that kids need to move! Bring education to life with kinesthetic learning

Use chants to create a supportive, encouraging, exciting environment!

Get on the desk!

Resolve to find your own red button

Celebrate the beauty of their ancestries

Show them examples of excellence

Set the bar high for parents, too!

Use an Amazing Race to bring learning to life!

Love your eighth graders

Don't give children second chances on tests and projects

Encourage children to cheer for one another

Paint the walls with positive memories. (If their faces are on the walls, they are less likely to pee on them!)

Never read a speech

Make eye contact with your classroom or audience

Move around the room throughout the lesson and never remain in the same place

Teach the students, not the board

Exhibit the same energy you expect from your audience

Smile

Never allow students to begin a statement with "umm," "well," or "me and"

Fake it to make it

Use a djembe drum. Every classroom in the world needs one

Don't put the blame on students unfairly

Lift up your teachers. No, really, lift them up

Have fun --

pt. IV. Reaching out beyond the classroom : Teach parents the correct way to tutor their children ; Build strong bonds with parents ; Ask the hard questions: "what do you want this school to be?" ; Join parents, teachers, and community members together to create "theme days" for the school ; Accept the fact that if kids like you all the time, then you're doing something wrong ; Recognize that the heart of the school is the teacher. Hire the best and never settle ; Always observe a teacher applicant teaching a lesson before offering him or her a job ; Teach children the history and symbolism of their home and school ; Remember that children are literal thinkers and, as adults, we really have to spell out what we mean ; Remember that the little things can make all the difference ; Provide lessons in life that will become lessons for life ; Uplift the students who have the furthest to go ; Allow teachers the freedom to make their rooms reflect their personalities; allow them to use color! ; Let the students shine ; Leave the jealousy at the door ; Realize that you never truly know all that is going on in the life of a child ; Raise our children to be global citizens ; Recognize the big cost of big dreams ; Reach out to the community to build a powerful network ; Once you have donors, work hard to keep them! ; Send thank-you letters that are hand-drawn, colorful, and grammatically correct ; If you need advice, ask for money. If you need money, ask for advice ; Make your goodbyes mean something

What's next? The new dream.