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All kids can succeed, but significant change is needed to help make it happen.

That was the message from Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust, a national policy group, in her remarks to a packed crowd at NYSUT's "Every Child Counts: A Symposium Dedicated to Ending the Gap."

"People say we're not getting anywhere," Haycock said. "That's absolutely wrong."

Haycock, who served as executive vice president of the Children's Defense Fund before signing on to lead the Education Trust, focused on the "ugly facts" of the achievement gap before showing how steps are being taken in New York and across the nation to facilitate progress.

• Related article: Education expert Haycock: With change, achievement is possible