What can teachers and schools do to support achievement for all students? Surely this is a basic and critical question for teacher educators as well as families, communities, policy makers--everyone concerned about our children and our future. The question is not new and the answers proposed are legion. What could I add to the conversation? The purpose of this brief discussion is to introduce the concept of academic optimism, a characteristic of both individual teachers and schools that provides a perspective on this perennial question about how to support achievement for all students.