This article examines the fundamental disconnect between discourses of accountability in education policy and their interpretation on the ground by parents. Based on data from two sites in Baltimore--district-led teacher training and a community facing school restructuring--I argue that both parents and education professionals consider accountability to be a measure of faithfulness to reality, but they position reality in different discursive frames. Ultimately, I show that this meta-semantic mismatch has a tangible impact on the implementation of school reform.