---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The limitations of federal laws are able…"
description: "\"The limitations of federal laws are able to create real progress at the local level. Ultimately, to effect not just incremental progress but progress t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg"
---

#  The limitations of federal laws are able to create real…

![“The limitations of federal laws are able to create real progress at the local level. Ultimately, to effect not just incremental progress but progress that is transformational for students, we need committed leadership - people who believe deeply that their students can achieve at the highest…” quote by Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg)

> “The limitations of federal laws are able to create real progress at the local level. Ultimately, to effect not just incremental progress but progress that is transformational for students, we need committed leadership - people who believe deeply that their students can achieve at the highest levels and who know how to create the conditions at the classroom, school and system level to give them the opportunities they deserve.”

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Advocates that local leadership and committed educators can create transformational change beyond incremental policy.

**In simple terms:** Local leaders can drive major educational change.

Key Takeaway

Empower dedicated teachers to transform schools.

Themes

education leadership transformational change

Mood

optimistic determined

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- school reform
- teacher training
- community partnerships
- student advocacy

Key Concepts

systems thinking equity student potential policy implementation

Questions to Reflect On

- What actions can local leaders take now?
- How to sustain momentum for systemic change?

A Different Perspective

Requires sustained resources and political support; may face resistance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Classroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classroom/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Limitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitation/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/)

## Related quotes

> [To meet the expectations of the majority of our people, and to open up new vistas of economic opportunity so that the aspirations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibrahim-babangida/to-meet-the-expectations-of-the-majority-of-our-people-and-to-open-up/)

[Ibrahim Babangida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibrahim-babangida/)

> [My administration is committed to a leadership role on the issue of climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-administration-is-committed-to-a-leadership-role-on-the-issue-of/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [The Pell Grant is more than a financial aid program for college students in need. It is the right thing to do for America's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-coleman/the-pell-grant-is-more-than-a-financial-aid-program-for-college/)

[Norm Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-coleman/)

> [We've long believed teachers know best what their students need to succeed, and that includes the creation of healthy, supportive school communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/we-ve-long-believed-teachers-know-best-what-their-students-need-to/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [“Students need to feel that their teachers are in place to help them succeed. Teachers need to create opportunities to form bonds with students.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-a-flores/students-need-to-feel-that-their-teachers-are-in-place-to-help-them/)

Kelly a Flores

> [I have find that today's students are often more tolerant of human variance than students in earlier generations might have been. On the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ann-tomlinson/i-have-find-that-today-s-students-are-often-more-tolerant-of-human/)

[Carol Ann Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ann-tomlinson/)

> [Students need to make their own choices about reading material and writing topics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/students-need-to-make-their-own-choices-about-reading-material-and/)

[Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/)

> [Since we don't know with any certainty what specific aptitudes today's students will need tomorrow, we need to ensure they have the critical thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-adams/since-we-don-t-know-with-any-certainty-what-specific-aptitudes-today/)

[Eric Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-adams/)

> [Students need to learn how to unlearn those elements of a market driven society that deform their sense of agency, reducing them to simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/students-need-to-learn-how-to-unlearn-those-elements-of-a-market/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [Students do not need to be labeled or measured any more than they are. They don't need more Federal funds, grants, and gimmicks. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/students-do-not-need-to-be-labeled-or-measured-any-more-than-they-are/)

[Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/)

> [Schools serving disadvantaged students need more time to help these students catch up and gain the core academic skills they will need to succeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gabrieli/schools-serving-disadvantaged-students-need-more-time-to-help-these/)

[Chris Gabrieli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gabrieli/)

> [Scoring well is great, but not at the cost of straining yourself. Students need to know that there is a life beyond these marks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuvan-bam/scoring-well-is-great-but-not-at-the-cost-of-straining-yourself/)

[Bhuvan Bam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuvan-bam/)

> [Far too many of our children today, our students, need remedial education. We have been lying to them. They're not really ready for college.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-duncan/far-too-many-of-our-children-today-our-students-need-remedial/)

[Arne Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-duncan/)

> [If anything, we hope that DonorsChoose.org is going to be a prompt, a nudge in the side of the public school system to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/if-anything-we-hope-that-donorschoose-org-is-going-to-be-a-prompt-a/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [As a former high school teacher and a student in a class of 60 urchins at St. Brigid's grammar school, I know that education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/as-a-former-high-school-teacher-and-a-student-in-a-class-of-60/)

[Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/)

## More by Wendy Kopp

> [People are attracted to teaching because they want to make a real impact. The teachers who are making the greatest difference go far beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/people-are-attracted-to-teaching-because-they-want-to-make-a-real/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [ As a country \[USA\], we can attract more talented people to teaching by raising awareness of educational inequity and getting the public to understand… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/as-a-country-usa-we-can-attract-more-talented-people-to-teaching-by/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [Creating a high-functioning education system requires all the strategies involved in building high-functioning organisations anywhere. It requires a deliberate and aggressive strategy to ensure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/creating-a-high-functioning-education-system-requires-all-the/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [I have not seen that standardised tests make the profession less attractive, though some principals respond to them in a way that drives the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/i-have-not-seen-that-standardised-tests-make-the-profession-less/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [When people think the issue can be solved, it becomes a moral imperative to be part of the solution. We can do a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/when-people-think-the-issue-can-be-solved-it-becomes-a-moral/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [Inexperience is an asset. Embrace it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/inexperience-is-an-asset-embrace-it/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [I often hear from new graduates that it's better to wait until you have more experience… But I'm a big believer in the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/i-often-hear-from-new-graduates-that-it-s-better-to-wait-until-you/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [Education is the most powerful tool countries have for boosting economic growth, increasing prosperity and forging more just, peaceful and equitable societies. Where educational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/education-is-the-most-powerful-tool-countries-have-for-boosting/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [The evidence would suggest that there are some great alternative certification programmes and some lousy ones. There are some wonderful traditional education schools, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-evidence-would-suggest-that-there-are-some-great-alternative/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [Its time to declare a cease-fire in the education race. We have far more to gain from collaborating than competing. We Americans should ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/its-time-to-declare-a-cease-fire-in-the-education-race-we-have-far/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [The most successful teachers in low-income communities operate like successful leaders. They establish a vision of where their students will be performing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-most-successful-teachers-in-low-income-communities-operate-like/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [When school district officials literally laughed at the notion that the Me Generation — this was the label for my generation — would jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/when-school-district-officials-literally-laughed-at-the-notion-that/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [Standardised tests cannot capture all, but on the other hand, students who are not capable of doing well on standardised tests are not well-equipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/standardised-tests-cannot-capture-all-but-on-the-other-hand-students/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [The most reliable way to be certain of their classroom impact is through independent studies conducted by third-party organisations which compare the student growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-most-reliable-way-to-be-certain-of-their-classroom-impact-is/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

[Explore all 15 Wendy Kopp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

## More Able quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

Browse all 17,257 Able quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The limitations of federal laws are able to create real progress at the local level. Ultimately, to effect not just incremental progress but progress that is transformational for students, we need committed leadership - people who believe deeply that their students can achieve at the highest levels and who know how to create the conditions at the classroom, school and system level to give them the opportunities they deserve.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wendy Kopp"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able-to-create-real-progress-at/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able-to-create-real-progress-at/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/wendy-kopp-33076_able_the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able_1668287.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The limitations of federal laws are able to create real progress at the local level. Ultimately, to effect…” — Wendy Kopp",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Wendy Kopp",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The limitations of federal laws are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able-to-create-real-progress-at/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/the-limitations-of-federal-laws-are-able-to-create-real-progress-at/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
