This article examines the ways neoliberal school culture mediates the schooling experiences of elementary emergent bilinguals. I draw upon narrative inquiry to privilege the voices and stories of the children who contributed to this work. With the exception of children in first grade, who were sheltered from the discourse of accountability, students experienced pressure to achieve at the mandated levels on standardized state tests, perceived academic literacy tasks as labor to endure and complete, and found their lives within the school to be constrained by systems of compliance and conformity. The children's narratives highlight the powerful influence of the current culture of neoliberalism, which negatively impacts their schooling by narrowing curriculum and denying access to instruction that supports questioning, critiquing, and curiosity.