What is this for?

As part of my AP United States Government course, I have been asked to examine a piece of our nation's public policy. I have chosen education because after working in an elementary school, I've discovered that almost everything a public school does is influenced by the government. From budgets to hiring requirements to special considerations for specific children, the government almost always has a say. My goal throughout this process is to examine where parties stand on education, how that impacts me, interest groups concerned with education, and generally what education policy entails.