The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted education for all students, but has hit students from vulnerable and systemically neglected populations hardest. Beyond interruptions to instruction, many of these students face food insecurity, unreliable access to remote learning technology, reduced access to student supports and education services, and housing uncertainty. In response to these crises, the federal government is providing an additional $125 billion to states and school districts through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARP). State leaders must target these new resources to the students who need it most and leverage this federal investment to drive significant change in the education system. The authors provide these state recommendations as a collaboration of nine organizations seeking to advance educational equity. Specifically, they are focused on policy that transforms systems to better serve and support improved outcomes for the most vulnerable students.