"There was a time when public education was the total responsibility of state and local governments...and they were held accountable bigtime for even the least of failure that became obvious in their systems. The federal government played no part in financial aid or in making rules and regulations covering it. When that changed, beginning somewhere in the 1960's, I believe, when the federal government got its foot in the door, promising that their aid would not impact on local administration, all hell began to break loose...and public education has been on the downslide ever since. The politicians in D.C. lie through their teeth about everything...and there's little to be done about it. So far removed, they obviously couldn't care less about what you and I, or anyone else, think or want about anything. It is, in my mind, the principal reason this great Country is facing so many problems this very day.

Get public education back into the hands of the local governments, and hold them accountable without their being able to throw up their arms by pointing the finger towards Washington, and public education, the most expensive in the world, may...just may...have a chance.

The federal government keeps wanting to control more and more...when they can't even begin to handle what they already have. It's my opinion...a distressed one for the young people who follow me. It saddens me knowing what I'm leaving them."

I found this response online to a similar question that my project proposed. As in most cases, it seems that nationwide regulations and changes are not as effective as localized ones by the local governments.