The Death of Federalism?
Dear Deborah,
I have received many informative letters this past year from teachers, principals, parents, and others, who tell me what is happening on the ground. One of the most informative arrived a few days ago. I must keep the letter-writer's identity hidden, for reasons that will be obvious.
A superintendent in a small district in the Midwest wrote to tell me that his district wants to adopt higher standards than the ones prescribed in federal law (which rely on the state tests). His district would like to use the ACT for its standards, because its tests are content-based, not skills-based.
But the district needs a federal waiver to switch to higher standards. The superintendent has received the written
