International educational benchmarks make disappointing reading for Americans, but they also indicate a way forward. PISA results show strong performance is possible. Whether in Japan, Korea, Finland or Canada, many countries display strong overall performance and show socioeconomic background doesn't determine results. Some countries show that success can be a consistent and predictable, with very little performance variation across schools. Many countries demonstrate that rapid progress can be achieved in less than a decade. The most advanced systems have made teaching a profession of high-level knowledge workers, and that--not higher salaries--is what makes teaching so attractive.