The work of a school leader can be compared to that of an architect, who must bring a team together to create something original on a solid foundation. Aaron Spence, superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, came to the district nine years ago, ready to serve the district where he'd grown up. His previous experiences in school leadership had given him a vision for equity-based transformation, but the district had a more immediate need -- getting all schools accredited. Joshua P. Starr explains how focusing on this urgent need enabled him to build relationships that helped him when it was time to turn to more transformative goals. This initial work proved to be the foundation on which the new work could rest.