Abstract
Federal involvement in education has been contentious for at least the last seventy years. Even though the Founders never mentioned education in the U.S. Constitution, the 10th Amendment mandates state and local control of public education, which should limit the federal government’s involvement in educational matters. Nevertheless, the United States has been dominated by various federal acts designed to affect education, such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the Every Student Success Act (ESSA). Supreme Court rulings, e.g., San Antonio Independent Schools vs. Rodriguez (1973), complicate presidential legacies in respect of education as well. The intricacies of federal U.S. education policy include distinct presidential input, particularly since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 enactment of the original ESEA.
President Obama's legacy could be considered transitional and controversial. His educational legacy is also bound to the educational agendas of his predecessors and successor(s) in the Oval Office. This paper will briefly examine the history of presidential legacies in education and address the diversified reform efforts prior to, during, and after President Obama's two terms in office. The authors outline the efforts (successful and failed attempts) of Obama’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's adaptation to existing educational policies and his creation of new policies that were intended to eradicate injustice and hold schools accountable for their achievements. The more recent influence of President Trump and his Secretary of Education Betsy Devos will also be evaluated to assess President Obama’s Legacy in Education.
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Capel, M., Schneller, P. (2022). Obama’s Education Policy: Is the Price of the Ticket a Moral Thicket?. In: Grossman, M., Matthews, R.E., Schortgen, F. (eds) Achievements and Legacy of the Obama Presidency. The Evolving American Presidency. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89529-7_4
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