Local control is emphasized in this examination of the roles of state, federal, and local governments in education policy and change. Federal and state role priorities should be to provide resources and stimulation for the major decisions and changes at the school site. The role of the state in school district governance, which has steadily been increasing, can be diminished. Collective bargaining reforms and school site governance would do a great deal to overcome the need for detailed state regulations. The federal government, as well as the state governments, can assist local districts and individual schools with grant moneys. The author proposes a governance plan that meets these requirements and that recognizes that it is the school, rather than the entire district, which is the critical nexus between the child and the substance of education. (Author/DS)