Many who would define themselves as liberal progressives were heartened by the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. However, perhaps almost as many have been disappointed by Obama's policies as president. In this paper the author seeks to understand and explain the seeming reversal in Obama's policies, especially regarding education. He begins by describing the ascent of neoliberalism as a doctrine to restore corporate profits in response to the pre and post World War II spread of social democratic liberalism. Social democratic liberalism, which in the United States is more commonly referred to as liberalism, endorses Keynesian economic policies in which governments should adopt economic policies to limit economic hardships and promote economic growth and individual rights. He concludes by proposing that there is a need to counter neoliberal ideology with an approach that focuses on developing a more equitable and sustainable world. Furthermore, there is a need to counter the power of the oligarchs by reforming the governing structures so that wealth does not equal legislative control, by creating political alliances that work toward economic and social equality and environmental sustainability, and by reinvigorating democratic dialogue at the local, national, and international level.