When I first arrived at the Vista School District, it was facing numerous challenges: declining enrollment, financial difficulties, strained labor relations, significant turnover, and unresolved lawsuits. Tasked with the monumental challenge to better serve the 25,000 students from linguistically, culturally and economically diverse backgrounds, I led a strategic planning initiative that engaged a broad group of district and community stakeholders. Through collaborative and reflective change management, the Vista School District became an award- winning district and a model for educational excellence, innovation, and digital learning. Most importantly, it resulted in major improvements across every academic and behavioral metric, from college readiness to truancy.