New York State's system of public elementary and secondary schools is in steep decline, but it is salvageable. The roots of its problems pre-date the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, but the system's response to that challenge accelerated discontent with the schools and harmed students. The damage of those years will not be undone if the state blindly continues to throw money at schools--unless there is a fundamental re-thinking of the purpose and governance of public education. New York consistently leads the nation in K-12 school spending, yet by 50-state standards, student outcomes are mired in the middle. If higher spending automatically led to higher quality, New York would be a model for the nation. Unfortunately, this model has demonstrably failed, and it is time for state leaders to fundamentally rethink their approach to education. This brief discusses: (1) the impacts of a change in the mayoral control of the New York City schools; (2) charter school outcomes; (3) the misguided college-for-all push; (4) and five areas in which the governor can lead a change in approach to education.