Public education is threatened as it struggles to keep up with the pace of change in American society. School systems are change prone but are not good at transforming change into improved performance. This book sheds light on why and what might be done about it. Part 1 offers an overview of the current situation in U.S. public schools and introduces the idea of systemic change. Part 2 presents a framework found useful for helping teachers come to grips with the problems associated with improving the quality of the experiences they provide for students. The core business of schooling is discussed, beginning with the idea of managing by results, then demonstrating how studying the competition leads to a better understanding of what one needs to do to succeed, describing the"Working on the Work" framework for assessing the quality of schoolwork and how to use this framework in developing schools that meet today's expectations. Part 3 offers specific steps school leaders can take and issues they can address to bring about successful structural and cultural change. The epilogue offers a scenario of a possible future if public schools cannot succeed in changing and improving, and some words of encouragement. (RT)