Good point about local control, and a good illustration of the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" nature of the education dilemma.
More direction from Washington has been pretty discredited, not only because of the conservative meme of "If I did it, they can do it--move on."
But because NCLB has been such an unqualified disaster, and because of mythological "state's-rights" issues.
Yet unless there is a policy change of sweeping proportions,(spelled "central policy") not much will get better.

"There is mysterious music in democracy, when people decide to believe in themselves." ---Bill Greider, The Nation.