Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), federal education mandates will be decreasing, which means states will have more flexibility and authority than they've had in decades. State education agency (SEA) leaders are confronting great change and great opportunity as many agencies move away from a focus on compliance with federal regulations,…

The Reagan administration in California used what some considered inflammatory rhetoric and seemed rigid, but in actual dealings it impressed many observers as flexible and willing to compromise. (Author/IRT)