Policies adopted by legislators impact the future of public and higher education. Unfortunately, educators and legislators are often in disagreement about what constitutes best practices. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of issues and challenges associated with governmental mandates and suggest an action agenda for educators to influence the attendant politics. More specifically, current trends in administrative licensure and preparation programs exemplify the negative ramifications of legislative policy on higher education while professional opinion on school reform initiatives illustrates the effects on K-12 education.