Political insider Christopher Cross has updated his critically acclaimed book to reflect recent education policy developments, including the impact of the Obama administration and "Race to the Top" as well as the controversy over NCLB's reauthorization. Featuring a new introduction and the addition of postscripts for key chapters, this important book traces the evolution of federal education policy during the latter half of the 20th century. Cross draws on his 32 years of experience in Washington, research he has conducted in several presidential libraries and interviews with more than 20 people who held key positions during that time. What emerges is a highly readable chronicle of how the federal role in education has been transformed, including a look at: (1) The major organizations, interest groups, and policymakers who influenced federal policy, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Elliot Richardson, Al Quie, John Brademas, Adam Clayton Powell, Walter Mondale, Abraham Ribicoff, Ted Bell, Bill Bennett, Carl Perkins, and Ted Kennedy; (2) How and why the U.S. Department of Education came into existence; (3) How the Title I program came to emphasize whole school reform; (4) The history behind the development of the federal government's special education policy; and (5) The justification for the federal role in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. [Foreword by Richard Riley and Ted Sanders.]