An ESSA Christmas Carol: The Law’s Past, Present, and Future

Former President Obama called the Every Student Succeeds Act a “Christmas miracle.” But over the decade since ESSA became law, the education landscape has changed dramatically—from a global pandemic and the emergence of new technologies to the Trump administration’s recent efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. 

All4Ed convened former Hill and Obama administration staff and education advocates who shaped the law to reflect on its past, present, and future. What’s working well (or, at least, as intended), what’s been surprising or challenging, and what might the next ten years hold in store for national education policy?