The three-year-long transformation of Lawrence Heights Middle School from an underachieving, gang-ridden school with a high teacher attrition rate to a thriving, diverse school whose reading, writing, and math scores rated above average in the province is described in this personal account by the school"s agent of change: the principal. Anecdotal stories of students throwing library books out the window during the principal"s first tour of the school accompany inspiring stories of students who excelled beyond the expectations of a community dominated by public-housing complexes. Practical theories and real-life applications from a leading expert on inner-city revitalization offer hope and strategies for instilling pride and dignity in at-risk students.