Federal Meddling in Education Requires Federal Fix

Just a month into 2015, the year is already being hailed by some as “the year of school choice.”

With Congress likely to hold a vote to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the coming months, three new federal bills provide the language necessary to restore local control of education, and kill off Common Core standards once and for all.

At first glance, one might wonder why federal legislation is appropriate or necessary to deal with Common Core. It’s a fair question.

The United States has always recognized that education is a matter best left to state and local governments. The Constitution grants no authority to federal government to meddle in education policy, and both tradition and common sense have acknowledged that decentralization results in the kind of flexible and adaptable school systems that allow children to thrive.