Education Report November 6, 2009

1. Budget and Appropriations
-Mid-term elections and healthcare continued to dominate the political landscape this week on Capitol Hill.
-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid worked hard all week trying to corral votes in favor of their respective healthcare proposals. A final vote on healthcare is anticipated in the House by Sunday afternoon. The Senate debate, however, may not take place until January, in spite of intense work and several cancelled recesses.
-No plans for Senate floor action have been announced for Financial Services, Foreign Operations or Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, making them the likely candidates for an omnibus spending bill.

2. ARRA Through the Week
-ED kicked off the week with a report detailing the agencies expenditures to date under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The report describes each of the education grants and their allocations. The report also provides profiles of each state to summarize any restoration of education budgets by ARRA funds, and compiles all reported information regarding the state's use of ARRA funds per program.You can find this information as well as much more at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/spending/impact.html [1].
-Later in the week President Obama and Arne Duncan visited a middle school in Madison, WI to mark the anniversary of his historic election.
-The next day ED Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Jim Shelton visited the National Science Foundation to share details and plans of the Investing in Innovation program.

3. In brief
-ED hosts stakeholder forum on accountability
-AEE hosts event on teacher preparation
-Senator Murray introduces Literacy Bill
-Forum for Education and Democracy focuses on Equity Issues
-ED extends deadline for data system grant applications
-Fordham institute hosts briefing on "Common Core" Standards
**-FCC holds hearing on broadband access for people with disabilities
-NASSP hosts briefing on students with disabilities and idea
-President's Council on Financial Literacy Meets

Be sure to also check out sections #4 (New Publications) and #5 (In the News) for articles of interest.