Advocating for a stronger federal-state partnership in education demands a critical reassessment of past approaches like No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). While these laws aimed to raise educational standards nationwide, they often failed to address deep-rooted inequities exacerbated by socioeconomic disparities. The recent decline in student test scores, particularly among Latino, African American, and low-income students, highlights the urgent need for coordinated action.
A revitalized partnership should prioritize equitable access to quality education, providing essential resources and support to underserved schools and districts. Addressing the teacher crisis—marked by low pay, inadequate training, and diminished professional esteem—is equally crucial. By enhancing teacher compensation, improving professional development, and fostering systemic reforms, we can build a more inclusive and effective education system. This collaborative effort, guided by both federal leadership and state autonomy, is essential to ensuring that all students have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed.
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These reforms largely failed, but the problems calling for national action persist. As a longtime observer of the ways in which federal power can amp up state and local education improvement efforts, I’m persuaded that we need a new partnership now. This joint state-federal program must address the severest challenges facing American schools, challenges that are all too evident in recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
