John lost both his parents by the time he was 12. He moved around between different families, got himself into a lot of trouble, and eventually was expelled from high school. Fast-forward many years, and John, after earning degrees from Harvard, Columbia, and Yale, went on to become the first Black and the first Puerto Rican commissioner of education for New York State and then US Secretary of Education in President Barack Obama’s cabinet. Yes, he worked hard, but his attributions for his success give all of us teachers a north star to guide our efforts. Dr. John King Jr. is thankful for having the “right teachers, mentors, and role models, who intervened” in his life at the right time. He had teachers who asked what chance they could give rather than what chance he had. His main observation is a mantra for teachers: One teacher showing that they care, providing the right challenge or encouragement, offering the right sage advice, or asking the right question can profoundly change a student’s life (King, 2025). Every year we teachers collectively interact with millions of students. We have the power to be life changing.
