Mayor Booker believes his city can lead the change in education across the country. "My dream is that in Newark we aggressively attack this issue, everybody stands up and comes together and manifests a level of student achievement that's not just for the fortunate few but is for everyone," he says. "I think in Newark we can do this."

To make this happen, residents must come together and stop blaming each other for the city's problems, Mayor Booker says. "When you blame somebody, you almost try to forgive yourself of any responsibility," he says. "That will never solve this problem. We must find a way to get everybody to the table. ... Everybody must be willing to sacrifice something. There's no easy way to accomplishing this mission."