In this article, the author relates the blueberry story, as one of many excuses for barely advancing the status quo, and suggests a workable framework that is common to both education and business. Unfortunately, many business and education leaders seem intent on fixing specific issues and fail to acquire a systemic perspective. These isolated initiatives yield results that usually are less than satisfactory and rarely lead to lasting improvements. The "Education Criteria for Performance Excellence," also known as the Baldrige education criteria, represent the gold standard for school accountability. The Baldrige criteria consist of the key characteristics found in all high-performing organizations. The criteria for leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, data (knowledge) management, faculty and staff focus, process (educational design) management and performance results are arranged in a framework designed to ensure schools are addressing the needs of all students. The use of the "Education Criteria for Performance Excellence" creates a significant opportunity to remove the excuse of inferior blueberries and eliminate the fear of adapting best practices from business to drive improvement for all students.