Education Report for March 20, 2009

Pleased be advised, the bullets below only provide a rough outline and are not intended as a substitute for the report (attached). NCSS strongly encourages you to read the refined report which will offer a more complete picture of recent events on Capitol Hill from the professionals at Washington Partners. You can easily navigate your areas of interest by using the bookmarks at the beginning of the attachment.

Highlights under each section of the attached report include:

1. Budget and Appropriations
-Congress was mostly consumed with the overseeing of the financial bailout and the controversial issue of bonuses to AIG executives this week.
-Democrats focused on hammering out a spending proposal for FY 2010--The House and Senate budget committees are preparing to release their congressional budget resolutions next week. These general spending numbers will frame appropriations by specific subcommittees.
-Controversy over the President's budget continued--especially among Republicans alarmed by the extent of spending--and increased when worse than expected deficit projections were released.

2. Center for American Progress (CAP) Holds Event on Fast Track to College
-Discussion of Fast Track to College Act of 2009 with bill authors Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Congressman Dale Kildee (D-MI)
-Legislation would award funding for partnerships between high schools and local colleges.
-Authors argued that early exposure would lead more students to pursue post-secondary ed. and highlighted the cost benefit of "dual-enrollment" for student participants.
-Remarks from representatives were followed by insight from experts on the subject.

3. National Service Bills Move Through Congress
-two pieces of national service legislation moved through House and Senate this week
-The Serve America Act (S 227)--Passed in Senate HELP by bipartisan vote and will move to the Senate floor
-The Generations Invigoration Volunteerism and Education Act [GIVE Act] (HR 1388)--Passed in the House by a bipartisan vote of 321 to 105 and now moves to the Senate for consideration. In terms of education, GIVE provides funding for student service learning programs on all levels.

See attached report for more details and a link summarizing both bills.

**4. In Brief,* headings include:
-FIRST LADY AND CELEBRITIES TOUR DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS
-EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW APPOINTMENTS
-EDUCATION AND LABOR COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
-EDUCATION AND LABOR SUBCOMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

Be sure to also scan sections #5 ("New Publications") and #6 ("In the News"), for articles of interest.