The "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015. ESSA reauthorizes the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" (ESEA), which was first enacted as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty." Since 1965, ESEA has represented the federal government's commitment to providing all of the nation's children with a fair, equitable, and high-quality education. With the passage of ESSA, responsibility for making critical decisions related to education policy is shifting away from the federal government and back to the states. ESSA therefore presents a significant opportunity for state and local policymakers to refocus on how best to improve the nation's schools. This issue of "re:VISION" has been designed as a policymaker's introduction to this important legislation.