Achieving a Rational Balance: Some Realities of Federal-State Relations.

A federal system is better than one that is totally nationalized or left totally in the hands of the states and their districts. The principle undergirding that system is appropriateness. Responsibilities most appropriately handled at the state level ought to rest at that level. Responsibilities best met by the resources and reach of the national government should be dealt with at that level. Assigning the fundamental educational role to the states has two obvious benefits: it provides for greater administrative efficiency and more sensible governance systems and it is sound educational philosophy. The appropriate federal role should have four main characteristics: federal efforts ought to serve to strengthen rather than weaken the states; the most equitable distribution of federal funds is by allocation to the states and then to the districts; some specific areas of educational need are most appropriately addressed at the federal level; and the federal government should take primary responsibility for meeting conditions that are uniquely national in scope and character. There are things the federal government should not do and there are things that the states can do in defense of their perogatives; the final defense is to argue for a federal role but not any federal role. (Author/IRT)