The debates over the appropriate federal role in education have been persistent for decades, oscillating between the federal government and the states with regards to scope, strengthening, and responsibility. The new federal Every Student Succeeds Act represents the latest recalibration and the tenuous nature of the federal-state relationship. Dr. Michael Usdan, IEL senior fellow and former president, recounts the pivotal turns in the federal-state relationship throughout American history and offers a critical analysis of the growing federal role since the 1960s and the increasing influence and visibility of the federal government in education matters. READ MORE…