This policy paper, by a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Policy and Planning, argues that President Clinton and the previous "education Congress" designed a top-down strategy reminiscent of the Great Society programs in the 1960s to reform America's school systems. The resultant educational legislation has occurred at a time when public trust in the federal government is very low. In particular, the "Goals 2000: Educate America Act" and the "Improving America's Schools Act" (HR 6) will remove control from education consumers and elected officials and impose bureaucratic control by "education experts" who will shift the focus from academic performance and accountability (outputs) to "equitable" distribution of resources (inputs). True education reform can only be accomplished at the state and local levels and with emphasis on high academic standards and tests that measure mastery of core subjects. To achieve real education reform, three things must happen: (1) restore local control and undo the worst damage; (2) send programs home; and (3) eliminate the Department of Education. The appendix highlights the "10 worst ideas" in HR 6. (Contains 43 endnotes.) (LMI)