Facing turbulent economic times, school districts instinctively fight to maintain their head above water, trying to minimize the damage being done. What if instead districts and state policy makers took the current tough times to leverage change and transform? This article identifies seven priorities that could help districts invest in transformation. It then reviews the barriers that prevent change and the steps state policy makers can take to overcome the barriers.

Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping urban school systems organize talent, time, and technology to create great schools at scale, has created a framework that states and districts can use to tackle antiquated cost structures and free unproductive resources to invest in long-term improvement. Seven top priorities have emerged that address the federal, state, and local barriers to using resources well and suggest alternative ways to organize, spend, and maximize resources. The goal is to unlock current resources and find savings in order to invest in transformation.

Act Now to Transform School Systems (PDF)