"It's getting almost too easy now!" said Abbas, my fourth grade tutee, as he completed a nontrivial two-digit multiplication problem. I saw him smile as he started to understand, his success marking the culmination of 30 minutes of explanation which covered a month of school. But his curiosity extended way beyond that achievement, and so did his potential. Abbas listened to me with utter attention as I introduced him to square numbers, whose meaning he clearly internalized as he remembered them a few moments later, his eyes shining with pride.

Unfortunately, the astonishment that my assigned tutee's abilities provoked was counterbalanced by the several salient cues of the early educational system's flaws. Student-to-teacher ratios are abnormally high, and when teachers are absent, substitutes are not always an option. I learned that when one teacher was absent, his students were released into the corridors because a substitute teacher was too expensive.

Even more dramatic, the school's facilities and financial problems drastically contrasted the effort of the faculty and volunteers working to make the experience as school enjoyable as possible. The few teachers who were dedicated enough to carry on despite monetary inconveniences were doing a fantastic job. They were there, not only as instructors, but as people, providing the intellectual and mental support these children needed. The students, in turn, displayed an unquenchable desire to learn. Many of them shouted, "Choose me! I am Abass" as I came into the classroom looking for my assigned tutee. The message was clear: where there is life, there is hope.

Outside the classroom, yet standing besides teachers and students in the quest of better education, a mother waited for us tutors as we entered the elementary school. Her gaze complemented her voice as she tried her best to stay strong while she pleaded pleaded with us to assign a tutor to her child. She embodied the unshakeable will of parents who undertake every possible action that might contribute to their child's success.

As I was ascending the stairs in the direction of Abbas' classroom, a mural caught my attention: a picture of president Obama, supplemented by the quote: "What if I told you you can be anything?" It was inspiring, yet I found myself saddened by the extreme dissonance between the system's ideology and the shocking dearth of resources it is equipped with.

In today's educational system, America is experiencing a serious case of cognitive dissonance that needs to be addressed. In recognition of the unshakeable positivity of the the system's members, we must acknowledge and tackle the urge for change, starting from the smallest of steps and moving toward more substantial goals.