Political Science 321

Instructor B. Adams
October 4, 2019

Education is one of the most important foundations for the future, and yet it is the most
reoccurring debate in history. There are three levels of government; federal, state, and local, and
all are involved in K-12 education. The appropriate role of each, however, is the source of much
controversy. Some argue that a state’s influence in education is helpful and needs to be
maintained, while others say states do not have the resources to truly help the students reach the
correct standards. Both have good arguments; however, I believe that the federal government
should set the standards for the educational system in America because often states will set lower
standards to get funding, which creates unequal learning standards for students. The federal
government also has the resources necessary to make an actual change.

The federal government has the ability to implement national standards and maintain
better test scores. However, the Every Student Succeeds Act increases states role in the oversight
of the educational system with the devolution of authority from the federal government to the
states. ESSA is “an attempt to fix problems created by NCLB, a law that marked the most
dramatic expansion in federal control over K-12 education” (West, 77). It places full
responsibility on state and local leaders, giving no political cover to those who would like to take
strong action on the school reform (Aldeman, 93). ESSA gave states power to choose their own
standards and set their own rules. Giving states more power doesn’t lead to better schools, it
leads to schools that are less successful in educating their students. With no political standpoint,
students in disadvantaged groups are most at risk from this act because schools have lower
expectations. For instance, students who are colored, Hispanic, gay, lesbian, etc. The federal
government should set a national standard that every school satisfies in order to create a level
playing field for all students. This act should be reformed to take away the power state
government has and give it to the federal government.

The federal government also has the resources state and local governments do not have to
fund education. Federal government is able to provide schools with tools and supplies to increase
education. It has millions of dollars at their disposal to spend on new resources for schools. For
instance, the federal government alone was able to provide a state with “fifteen new and fifty-
four renovated schools, a 2,000-square-foot planetarium, a twenty-five-acre farm with an air-
conditioned meeting room for 104 people, a model United Nations wired for simultaneous
language translation, broadcast-capable radio and television studios, movie editing and screening
rooms” (Hanushek & Lindseth, 53), and many more to help schools increase their test scores.
Schools all around the United States can be helped individually brought up to standards with the
aid of the federal government. In addition, States vary widely in what they spend on education,
putting schools and students at a disadvantage. For example, the state of Nevada spends around
$6,205 per-pupil while New Jersey spends $18,054 (K-12 lecture). With the federal
government’s resources, we are able equalize the spending throughout every state making the
cost of education the same and giving each student the same chance. If the federal government
set the standards, then there is only one standard to meet instead of having different ones for each
state. Enforcing a national standard would allow each school to produce all-around, good
students.
 While the federal government being in charge of the educational system seems to be the
best idea, state and local governments feel differently. Both state and local governments argue
that they should set their own standards because they are able to provide adequate resources to
students. They believe they can progress schools by “including a curriculum that fully reflects
the standards; teachers well qualified to teach the curriculum; and the materials, texts, supplies,
and equipment” (“Inequality on Trial: Does Money Make A Difference?”, chapter 4). Although
they have a good argument, setting new standards is the worst thing they could do. If states
continued to set their own standards, we will have fifty different standards across the United
States, creating an unequal level of knowledge across the country. Even though the federal
government has all the right resources to handle issues, both state and local governments think
that the federal government should step back and let them take care of everything. This would
not work because state and local governments do not have enough money to fund every
struggling school around them. They also argue that there is no way the federal government can
handle each failing school and help them meet the standards. State and local governments claim
that the federal government does not have the ability to go around to each struggling school and
help them one at a time. It would take forever, and it would never be full accomplished.
However, with the help by states, the federal government could play a greater role in the
operation of plans in order to turn those schools around. The resources that are needed to help
schools that are suffering are tools that states lack and cannot afford without the help of the
federal government. State and local governments also stress their concern that the federal
government does not have the full idea of the issues going on within each school district. With
the right resources and help from the states, the federal government is able to oversee the
districts and check to see that the curriculum is being applied correctly. It can also hire people to
go around each district making sure everything is running smoothly.

Despite the fact that they have valid arguments and concerns, there is no denying the fact
that the federal governments should remain in control of the educational system. States are
unable to afford the resources necessary to enact real change in education without some help
from the federal government. Since there are different standards for each state, we are creating a
nation built on unequal learning outcomes. Without proper change in education, we may never
be able to make the world a better place, in terms of education.
 References

Darling-Hammond, L. (n.d.). The Flat World and Education.

Hanushek, E. A., & Lindseth, A. A. (2009). Schoolhouses, courthouses, and statehouses: solving

the funding-achievement puzzle in Americas public schools. Princeton: Princeton
University Press.

Hess, F. M., Eden, M., & Aldeman, C. (2017). The Every Student Succeeds Act: what it means
for schools, systems, and states. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

HILTY, E. L. E. A. N. O. R. B. L. A. I. R. (2019). Thinking About Schools: a foundations of

education reader. S.l.: ROUTLEDGE.