In looking for examples of districts that were making gains both in assuring teacher quality and in reducing gaps in student achievement, researchers continually came to Clark County, Nevada and Hamilton County, Tennessee. While the road to reform and the specific steps each district took were different, they shared a fundamental element--in both districts, success can be directly linked to the collaboration of the local teachers' union and the school district. Single-minded focus on improving student achievement and a willingness to be flexible allowed these two, often adversarial groups, to work together with outstanding results. Their stories are proof that unions and districts can collaborate successfully to improve student achievement. Clark County and Hamilton County also provide guidance to other districts as they seek support in teaching and learning for all. (Contains 13 tables as Appendix 1 and Selected Resources as Appendix 2. Also contains 22 footnotes.) [This report was funded by the NEA Foundation.]