Advocates for education reform are becoming increasingly frustrated with the pace of progress in school districts across the United States, especially those in urban communities. Low student achievement appears to be a fact of life in most of these districts, particularly among poor students and students of color. Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and various state assessments underscore the urgent need to reinvent school districts so they can enhance success in each school they support. In this article, the authors discuss how mayoral involvement in school reform can support instructional change. They also discuss some approaches to district reform. (Contains 3 notes.)