In education, Texas has been a source of both controversy and innovation. According to Don McAdams, founder and president of the Houston-based school-board training and consulting firm Center for the Reform of School Systems, every state is different and unique in its education system, but Texas is one state that is really different and unique. The state's tumultuous history, huge size, high poverty rate, and English language learner population have created "an overall sense of urgency" when it comes to education. This article presents a brief history of the state's educational system and describes how Texas schools have worked through their disagreements, disputes, and compromises to be in the "top tier" of student achievement nationally.