After years of education system reforms that, at best, tinker at the system's edges, generations of families and students remain systemically marginalized, underserved, underprepared, and undereducated. COVID-19 has only made starker and more urgent the unfinished work of ensuring that all students receive an excellent education. It is time to do something different. Rather than hurry back to the familiar, leaders on state boards of education should name and be able to explain how a particular policy or set of policies can drive practices and build systems that upend inequities and foster equity. In that spirit, the author offers six equity-focused design principles that his organization, the National Urban League (NUL), applies in its national, state, and local work alongside 91 affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia: (1) Acknowledge Working and Operational Definitions of Equity; (2) Understand the Role of Narrative Change; (3) Reconsider Time and Resources; (4) Plan, Strategize, Act, Reflect; (5) Foster and Support an Education Ecosystem; and (6) Intentionally Build Forward Together. State boards can apply these principles to their work as well.