She came to the parent-teacher conference
Paper in hand
Report card covered in scarlet letters
To hear what she should do
She wanted to hear first hand
She said his absentee father doesn’t give a damn
Never got into a preschool program
40-kid class in kindergarten
Raised by me with my eighth grade education
Lives on a street with a crack house on it
Goes to bed often to the sound of sirens
Knows the kid hit by a freak stray bullet
How can he concentrate on math and science?
Tell me
Oh tell me
‘Cause he’s falling behind
You know he’s falling behind
And I want a better future for my son
‘Cause he’s kind

And he’s got a good mind
But he’s checking out of a race he’s gotta run
I think he’s losing faith that he can break out of his circumstances
How can I convince him to hold on to hope?
Tell me teacher, what would you do?
Tell me teacher, if you knew what I knew
What would you do?
The teacher thought about her crazy hours
Boyfriend wanting time to see a movie
So many other kids are also struggling
What do I think that I am proving?
Maybe I could meet with him an hour before class
Give him extra help with his math and science
Get him signed up for a big brother program
Build his confidence and self-reliance
She said your child’s a bright young boy who’s dealing with a lot right now
Yes he has a future if we fight for it
Let’s mom and teacher work together, we can help him find that flame
Show him how to dream again
Let’s show him how to dream again