Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes. - John Dewey Over the past 8 years, education has seen a narrowing of curriculum due to the implementation of No Child Left Behind. The growing 'culture of one right answer' is eroding the analytical and critical thinking abilities of American students who are being fed a diet of rote memorization and bubble sheets. This conversation will delve into the research and scholarship related to the need for a curriculum devoted to developing a thinking nation, complete with the ability to fail and learn from that experience. What are practical types of interventions that can be implemented to work contrary to the "culture of one right answer" standardized testing fervor? How do individual teachers work to provide a more hearty experience to students in the face of sanctions and mandated interventions? What does a classroom, school or set of standards look like when it is valuing success as much as failure in the learning process?