Now 13 years old and maturing, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was recently re-endorsed as the centerpiece of the federal government's commitment to equity and quality in elementary and secondary education. (Author/MLF)

The School to Work Opportunities Act of 1994 (STWOA) qualifies as "historic" legislation for several reasons. STWOA is the first federal education legislation to declare that preparation for earning a living is a legitimate and important role of schooling for all students and the first education legislation to affirm that learning takes…

Outlines the Elementary Secondary Education Act's positive effect on education in breaking the federal aid logjam, spotlighting the needs of children, fueling the equality movement, promoting parental and community involvement, promoting public/nonpublic cooperation, promoting the accountability movement, and strengthening the federal system.…

Offers suggestions on what can be done to restore the balance in the federal education system and to halt the drift toward domination by federal priorities and federally mandated limitations on state and local decision-making. (Author)