Whatever the past achievements of our schools, very few today bring about student learning even remotely up to the minimum requirements of a nation such as the United States; small improvements in the educational system will be of little consequence in light of the huge deficits and the country's increasing needs. Most of the large, complex plans for reform or improvement now being advocated or implemented do not address the key element of educational success: student learning. The new understanding of the human brain, "the organ for learning," enables education to have--and to work from--a comprehensive theory of learning. The concept of brain-compatible education offers a clear, practical guide for applying learning theory and for obtaining enormously better learning outcomes from all students. Additionally, educators are able to plan and to bring about school change of the magnitude necessary to produce positive learning results by using the practical and least risky "pilot method"; still better organizational structures and methods can be developed with the help of teacher and principal contributions. Finally, when students learn reliably, the other problems in education, including discipline, teacher burnout, high costs, absenteeism, and public dissatisfaction, tend to evaporate. (KM)