The Policy Window
The policy window opened for ESSA after the political stream coupled with the problem stream. Financial and logistical problems with ESSA had been mounting for years. Independently these streams had grown in scope and towards a similar need for educational reform. The public became aware of the issue and agreed with policy makers and political elites that something had to be done. Key players rose to positions of influence by 2015 when educational reform took an important place on the agenda. Individuals like Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Patricia Murray filled roles as policy entrepreneurs. Both senators exemplified the qualities of a successful policy entrepreneur. They worked persistently with colleagues, were powerful leaders of their respective parties, and had the desire to address …show more content…
As such, cooperation and compromise were essential for pushing the bill forward. Deborah Stone describes cooperation in the policymaking process as first finding your allies to work together to defeat your opponents. She asserts that alliances must be made, and cooperation can be used to subordinate others during the process, meaning policymakers can use cooperation to ensure their wants are addressed in the legislation (Stone 1989, 27-28). Concessions were made by many throughout the creation process was marked by cooperation among legislators. To avoid another failed attempt at educational reform, a Senate-House committee was formed to resolve key differences between the different bills and choose a path forward. By September of 2015 they had made headway, but couldn’t agree on how to evaluate schools and handle low-performing schools (Severns 2015). Legislators worked across the aisle to seize the opportunity. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representative Kline worked closely to resolve differences on
The policy window opened for ESSA after the political stream coupled with the problem stream. Financial and logistical problems with ESSA had been mounting for years. Independently these streams had grown in scope and towards a similar need for educational reform. The public became aware of the issue and agreed with policy makers and political elites that something had to be done. Key players rose to positions of influence by 2015 when educational reform took an important place on the agenda. Individuals like Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Patricia Murray filled roles as policy entrepreneurs. Both senators exemplified the qualities of a successful policy entrepreneur. They worked persistently with colleagues, were powerful leaders of their respective parties, and had the desire to address …show more content…
As such, cooperation and compromise were essential for pushing the bill forward. Deborah Stone describes cooperation in the policymaking process as first finding your allies to work together to defeat your opponents. She asserts that alliances must be made, and cooperation can be used to subordinate others during the process, meaning policymakers can use cooperation to ensure their wants are addressed in the legislation (Stone 1989, 27-28). Concessions were made by many throughout the creation process was marked by cooperation among legislators. To avoid another failed attempt at educational reform, a Senate-House committee was formed to resolve key differences between the different bills and choose a path forward. By September of 2015 they had made headway, but couldn’t agree on how to evaluate schools and handle low-performing schools (Severns 2015). Legislators worked across the aisle to seize the opportunity. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representative Kline worked closely to resolve differences on