This paper addresses the decline of teacher, student, and parental power over the past several decades and the importance of moving away from the remedial models of teaching at-risk learners to approaches which accelerate their achievement. It supports the need for collaborative ventures, and especially those which join the power of teachers and the public schools with the resources and talents of the university. The major focus of the paper is on teacher empowerment and how teachers with power in turn empower and honor students and parents. There are several references to Developmental Discipline scattered throughout the paper. Although not the primary focus of the paper, a brief report is included on research on the effectiveness of Developmental Discipline as a means of accelerating the academic achievement and enhancing the self-concepts of at-risk and disadvantaged students. Developmental Discipline and computer assisted instruction have shown the potential to contribute to the preparation of novices who are empowered to teach at-risk students effectively. (JD)