At schools that align with the Common Principles, there's often a palpable sense of high expectations, personalization, and the purpose of school as a place for students to use their minds well. As the co-director and longtime school coach at the Michigan Coalition of Essential Schools, the author has witnessed what it takes for schools to develop those qualities. This article focuses on McCulloch Science and Technology Academy and Northeast Elementary School in Jackson, Michigan, looking at elements of each school's evolution through interviews with staff members. The author sat down with Julie Baker, a teacher at McCulloch, and Derry Sims, Northeast's principal, to ask about the transformations: what changed, and how did those developments support the schools to educate all students with personal attention and high standards for all? What made them attractive places to work?