It is the worst of times for state budgets. But across the country, some elected officials say it's the best time to rethink how their states spend money on education. Governors and other officeholders are arguing that their states have no choice but to re-examine assumptions about how schools are using the money they currently receive, given bleak budget conditions that may not improve substantially for at least a few years. Some are urging their states to demand more financial accountability from schools, while others have proposed redirecting at least some of the flow of funding to districts and programs, in the hope of either saving money or improving student performance. The call for schools to do more with less, or the same amount of money, is not new. But it appears to be gaining traction in a number of states, particularly those trying to climb out of financial troughs. For years, states have sought to protect schools from budget cuts, and in their proposed spending plans for next fiscal year, some governors have promised to do that, by either keeping education funding stable or even increasing it slightly. But in their annual "State of the State" addresses and other settings, governors have voiced dissatisfaction with the results their states are getting from schools for the money being spent now. The author discusses how lawmakers are using states' financial shortfalls to press for more efficient, and effective, ways to improve and run schools.