The main axis of this article is discussing two questions concerning the public schools located in carioca slums: the public school role in the slum universe and the antinomy between two socializing logics, one developed by the school and the other by grassroots families. The interconnection of these questions constitutes an important defy to the task of elevating the level of the children that live in the slums. In these terms, the article makes a brief historical of the emergence of the slums as a question to the Rio de Janeiro City; afterwards goes on the relationship among the schools, the students and their families. At the end, we try to point some possible ways to overcome the antinomy between the socializing logic of the school and the one of the grassroots families. We maintain also the conviction that the school, in addition to its traditional role, can help recognizing the slum as a fundamental part of the city.