Education Report November 13, 2009

1. Budget and Appropriations
-Congress was in recess for the Veteran's Day holiday most of this week which relegated progress on spending bills to staff meetings and hall talk. The goal of sending a so-called minibus package of appropriations measures to the President by Thanksgiving already appears to be slipping. These would include the bill that would fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS and ED).
-Other big news on Capitol Hill happened when the House succeeded in passing a comprehensive healthcare reform bill. The Senate hopes to take up its version of healthcare reform next week. They are hopeful that a final vote on the package will occur before the December 18th recess.
-The Department of Education made good on its promise to release the much anticipated RFP for states to apply for grants from the $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund.

2. CAP Hosts Debate on School Turnaround Strategies
-November 12th, the Center for American Progress(CAP) hosted a debate sponsored by The Century Foundation titled, "Turnaround Schools that Work: Moving Beyond Separate but Equal."
-Panelists focused their discussion on the role of integration in school and turnaround strategies.
-For more information on this discussion visit: http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2009/11/SchoolTurnaround.htm [1].

3. In Brief
-Chamber hosts workforce and education summit
-NASP holds briefing on school climate and student wellness
-NCWGE hosts briefing on gender bias in stem disciplines and fields
-DQC highlights model states using longitudinal data systems

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