"The great teacher is not the man [or woman] who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people." This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is an important reminder that education involves more than just teaching academic content and meeting state, or national, standards. Teachers inspire, encourage, challenge, and help children find ways to meet their academic and personal dreams. In the United States, teaching, and the field of education, is brought to the national forefront each presidential election as candidates employ educational experts and speechwriters to prepare glossy campaign rhetoric to tell the American people that they are all about education change. This article discusses how the American people wanted more than just talk; they wanted action. This article discusses powerful collaboration can be when teachers work together with universities to plan and implement curriculum.