The central office is both a physical place and a state of mind. In some school systems, the central office is a separate building located away from schools. In other communities, the office is housed in one of the school buildings. When someone mentions "central office," they may not be referring only to the building. They may also mean the tip of the hierarchal pyramid, the place where authority resides and decisions are made. The role of central offices looms large in efforts to reform school systems and schools. School systems are complex organizations, and central offices generally perform well in carrying out functions that enable the systems to operate more or less efficiently. But there is a difference between operating a school system and operating it so all students perform proficiently. It is this latter challenge that has prompted calls for a new central office. Different experts and critics have different proposals for what the new central office should look like, and it would benefit any school board or superintendent to study these proposals. Many districts already operate with a new central office approach, thanks to forward-thinking leaders and innovative administrative teams. In this article, the author shares his thoughts about how that function of the new central office could increase student achievement.