The author is a high school teacher who reflects on the impact of Obama's election on the students in her high school classroom. She found that the election enthusiasm highlighted for her the ways that schooling under NCLB has constrained both educators and students. Obama's election may bring hope to learners of all ages, especially to many teachers who had been beaten down by eight years of NCLB. However, the author advises skepticism toward the changes education secretary Arne Duncan might bring. The author calls on teachers, families, and unions to collaborate in demanding the freedom to nurture true learning.