Federalism in Government Policy toward Education Essay

Although the balance of power between the national government and the states has changed over the years, the federalist system is a fundamental part of the U.S. government (The White House, 2013). The states sponsor important programs to fund education, help troubled cities and provide social services. At the local level, the municipalities control a number of other services and regulations, but never fail to be in collaboration between the national, state and local governments. The constitution was put into place to support and defend the basic right of civilians of the United States (Marchant, 2003). Although the Constitution does not refer to education, operation and management of schools is made, particularly with respect to amendments to protect individual rights of students, faculty and staff. With these set laws into place to hold our country

On this momentous occasion, President Barack Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. This measure was meant to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 that was introduced during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Reform. Most importantly, for Americans, it replaced the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) instituted during the presidency of George W. Bush. The Every Student Succeeds Act was touted by lawmakers for returning power back to the states by taking a more flexible approach to student testing and school accountability. This measure is a step in the efforts to return American to its place as a leader in education worldwide, but this bill is not without its pundits as well.

“The NCLB law­—which grew out of concern that the American education system was no longer internationally competitive­­—significantly increased the federal role in holding schools responsible for the academic progress of all students. And it put a special focus on ensuring that states and schools boost the performance of certain groups of students, such as English-language learners, students in special education, and poor and minority children, whose achievement, on average, trails their peers.” (Klein). In 1965, ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) was introduced by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Program to create a clear understanding of the Federal Government in K-12 school policy, which provided more that $1 billion

On December 10, 2015 President Obama signed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This act was a replacement for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. NCLB was a representation of the nation’s goals under president George Bush in which all children would be offered support in order to flourish academically. While ESSA has the same groundwork as NCLB Act, the government anticipates greater academic merit. Only time will tell if this will prove true, nevertheless ESSA will significantly change educational approaches in the upcoming years.

In 2002, the Bush Administration, in an effort to enhance ESEA, reauthorized ESEA and enacted the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which required

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law by President Johnson in 1965. The ESEA allowed for new grants to districts for low-income students, federal grants for text books and federal grants for state instruction. This action also placed distinctive schooling centers. In 2002, the act was renamed as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorized, and signed by President Bush. The reauthorized form uncovered the fissures in educational accomplishment among susceptible students and those who have the upper hand with

For many poor, minorities, and other disadvantaged groups, the country has not made significant progress toward quality education for at-risk youth consistent with specific provisions outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act, failing the hopes of students and their families. When the NCLB Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, it was supposed to represent a new beginning in providing quality school education to young people who come from low-income families and who have special needs. Its purpose was to close the achievement gap between groups of students in elementary and high schools. However, many school districts across the country are still having difficulties in meeting the

Although George W. Bush passed NCLB, the road to this policy began before he assumed the presidency. Contrary to popular belief, NCLB is a renewal of a much older education initiative, titled the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). President Lyndon B. Johnson implemented ESEA in 1965, during his grand domestic agenda labeled “the Great Society”. During this time Johnson created ESEA, and numerous other social welfare policies, in order to realize his vision of an ideal American society. The 1965 ESEA, “offered new grants to districts serving low-income students, federal grants for text and library books, it created special education centers, and created scholarships for low-income college students.” Most importantly, it provided federal grants to state agencies to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education. Johnson upheld the belief that, “full education opportunity”

     The United States Government is beloved to all Americans, in the simple fact that all men are created equal and all men are given equal opportunity, to aspire to achieve success and make their dreams come true. Although the percentage of people who achieve all of their goals in life is fairly small, they have the freedom to chase them and America for the most part is a pretty content place. The “law of the land” that sets the standards for our rights and privileges is the U.S. Constitution.

The first laws passed by the government to support education were the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. This Act was put in place by Lyndon B. Johnson as a part of his War on Poverty campaign. This act provided federal funds to school districts in poor areas to give students a more proper education. These districts needed more funding because property values in poverty ridden areas are lower, and property taxes are generally where school districts receive their funding. Since so much funding was being given to these school districts, the districts and states must show that the funds are being put to good use and needs are being met. Since its enactment, this act has been reauthorized every five years.

The United States of America is commonly known as a democracy and when asked most people could easily define what a democracy is. America is also rooted in the principle of federalism. It’s reasonable to assume that far less people could offer up a definition of federalism as easily as we could for democracy even though its arguable that federalism is a key component of the United States government. Simply put, the principle of federalism is the constitutional agreement to divide power between the national government and state and local governments with the understanding that each has the power to enforce laws but cannot change the agreement without consent from the other (Dye 98). There are many types of federalism but the underlying theme of dividing power remains in each type.

Each president since Johnson, aside from President Nixon, left his mark on this landmark legislation. As a result, since 1965 “the federal role in education policy has grown tremendously.” In 1979, President Carter created the Department of Education in part to help administer this law more effectively; the creation of this department significant broadened federal involvement in education. Furthermore, in 1994, President Clinton reauthorized ESEA under the name of the Improving America’s Schools Act as part of his broader Goals 2000 initiative. This act allocated more funding to districts with higher concentrations of low income students, with the same central goal as the original ESEA: to improve the educational attainment of students in low-performing school districts.

Federalism is a system of government that divides power between a national government and a regional government with the use of a constitution. Throughout the United States history, federalism has played a significant role in the constitution and the system of government adopted by the United States of America. Federalism has also changed throughout the course of America's history to fit the constitution and the government.

The No Child Left Behind act was signed and put into place by President George W. Bush in 2002. The act was passed in order to replace the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA), put into place by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, as part of his Great Society Program. The ESEA helped to cover the cost of educating disadvantaged students, while expanding the federal role in education. (Education Week 2015) The idea of the NCLB act, much like ESEA, was to help reform the educational system in both elementary and secondary school systems. The NCLB act was very ambitious, and brings up issues on improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged, training high-quality teachers, language instruction for limited English proficient students, 21st-century schools, and enforcing technology. (U.S. Department of Education, 2010) One of the biggest factors of this bill was the idea of closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. Bush felt that this could be done by using standardized tests to measure how students were doing, and to see how well the teachers are doing. These tests were then used to identify which school systems were not performing

The term "federalism" describes the changing relationship between the national and state governments as they sort out their roles and responsibilities within the federal system. America has a decentralized government; there is no single source of power or center of government. Federalism goes well with pluralism, because of the multiple centers of power that exist in the government, and also the many divisions of power. There are several levels of government including the federal government, the 50 states, county and city governments and independent school districts. However, the major players are the national and state governments. The tensions between the two are clear when it comes to civil rights, money, and power.