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Article snippet: The education policy discourse has grown increasingly toxic in Washington, exposing deepening divides over issues ranging from K-12 funding to school choice. This time of federal deadlock offers a new reminder that our nation’s mayors must take greater ownership of education. Mayors have stepped out on other prominent issues recently where the federal government has balked, most notably on climate change. Now they should leverage their unique position as the leaders closest to the people to move past the partisan federal debates on education and drive change in their communities’ K-12 systems. ADVERTISEMENT Mayors are well-positioned because their proximity to the most important decisionmakers — those who lead local school districts — allows them to craft customized policy solutions that fit the local environment and build the local implementation strategies that federal policy changes so often lack. And, of course, states, counties, and cities — not the federal government — control 90 percent of our country’s education spending. At a time when public and private school performance is in the national spotlight, it’s important to note that mayors with the authority to create or influence the creation of schools are uniquely accountable if those schools don’t perform. Voters can express their discontent to the city’s most visible elected official by contacting City Hall or by voting for change in the next election. Most parents and other constituents in big cit... Link to the full article to read more