This talk will focus on the urgent need to invest in urban schools as Valerie Kinloch, Professor of Literacy Studies at Ohio State University, examines ongoing conversations about teaching, listening, and collaborating, particularly in the contexts of urban schools and communities. This talk will help contribute to a wider discussion about the importance of working with young people and adults, and working within urban schools and communities in ways that are collaborative, transformative, and justice-oriented for people who have been abused by the U.S. educational system.