Educational policy and practice has resided and continues to reside at the vortex of social and political strife in South Africa, as in the United States. Although school poverty and inequities among schools in the U.S. pale in comparison to conditions in South Africa, the two nations have much in common, including histories of state-sanctioned segregation in schooling as well as halting efforts to refashion education systems without undermining structures of advantage. In this article, the authors aim to consider the broader significance of the South African teachers' experience of educational reform--specifically, lessons U.S. policymakers might learn from these teachers about education and social justice. They offer a brief overview of the political and historical circumstances of schooling in South Africa and a short discussion of the theoretical foundations and methodology of the study. The article concludes with discussion of the significance of the teachers' comments for those seeking educational reform that leans towards social justice. (Contains 6 notes.)