Research continues to confirm that without "excellent" teachers consistently, most students who start behind stay behind, and too few middling and advanced students leap ahead. Even solid teachers who achieve one year of learning progress leave achievement gaps intact. Schools that "consistently" provide all students with excellent teachers--those in today's top 20 to 25 percent who achieve well over one year of learning progress--can close most gaps fast. Rigorous recruitment, development, and retention, and necessary dismissals will improve teaching. Among other nations making education surges, the most common practice has been to limit who can teach to their top high school or college students who also exhibit other qualities needed for great teaching. U.S. states could and should follow their lead. But this alone would not be adequate in the nation's economy, absent paid career advancement that makes the teaching profession attractive to more top candidates. To ensure that every student has access to an excellent teacher in nearly every class, states and districts must also help excellent teachers "extend their reach." Reach extension uses job redesign and technology to free excellent teachers' time to reach more students, for more pay, with available budgets. Reach extension also creates new roles for other teachers to learn from the best, contribute to excellent student learning immediately, and pursue career advancement, too. How can state and district leaders create policies that help excellent teachers reach more students? By better identifying top teachers; freeing schools and districts to redesign jobs; paying excellent teachers more; proactively retaining top teachers; and building instructional and data systems, policymakers can put excellent teachers in front of more students--"consistently," and "within budget." [For related reports, see "Seizing Opportunity at the Top: How the U.S. Can Reach Every Student with an Excellent Teacher. Building an Opportunity Culture for America's Teachers. Working Paper" (ED540001) and "Seizing Opportunity at the Top: How the U.S. Can Reach Every Student with an Excellent Teacher. Building an Opportunity Culture for America's Teachers. Policy Brief" (ED540000).]