The United States no longer has the best educated workforce in the world. To maintain its current standard of living and successfully compete in the global economy, the country needs to overhaul an antiquated education system that is not geared to produce the graduates it needs. In a new report, Tough Choices or Tough Times, the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce proposes a more effective education system. Seven steps can take us there. We must (1) chart a new course of student progression through the system; (2) reinvest available resources where it counts; (3) invest in universal preschool education; (4) recruit teachers from the top third of those entering college; (5) adopt high-performance management models to improve schools and districts; (6) provide strong support to disadvantaged students; and (7) rebuild standards, assessment, and curriculum to reflect today's needs and tomorrow's requirements. (Contains 1 endnote.)