Resources matter. How well schools and districts use their people, time, and money is often even more important than how much they receive. Education Resource Strategies' extensive research with districts and schools shows that despite differences in school level, size, location, student population, or even instructional focus, high-performing schools organize their resources in very consistent ways. They begin with a clearly defined instructional model and create organizational structures they call "Strategic Designs" that deliberately organize people, time, and money to advance their specific instructional practices. Specifically, high-performing schools organize and use resources to: (1) Invest to continuously improve Teaching Quality through hiring, professional development, job structure, and collaborative planning time; (2) Use Student Time strategically, linking it to student learning needs; (3) Create Individual Attention and personal learning environments. The authors have dubbed these organizing principles the "Big Three" guiding resource strategies. These strategies can either be implemented by individual schools or designed and supported by school districts for implementation at the school level. This brief dives into the specifics of the first principle of Strategic Design. It is intended to jumpstart resource conversations by providing examples, action steps, and probing questions to consider as schools and districts rethink their resources. A bibliography is included. (Contains 17 endnotes.)