School systems sometimes make promises they have no intention of keeping. Other times, they can deliver a world of opportunities to the neediest children. They may or may not want to listen to parents or even teachers, but school systems always attend to the demands of the most powerful individuals and institutions in their communities. For the last 20 years, this author has been working and organizing to build power through his local union--Education Austin. In this article, he reflects on what he has learned in more than 20 years of union leadership. Chief among those lessons is how locals in states without collective bargaining can work with their school districts to do what is best for their members and the children they serve.