1. Budget and Appropriations
-Healthcare is still a heavy subject on Capitol Hill. The president announced last week he was postponing his trip to Asia in hopes that the Democrats could get the votes they need to pass the healthcare bill.
-Passage of the healthcare bill would require the House to adopt the healthcare bill that was approved by the Senate earlier this year, and then pass a bill to modify the Senate measure. Given the low level of trust between the two chambers, this has been a difficult scenario for the leaders to negotiate.
-The budget committees of the House and Senate had hoped to move quickly this month to mark up budget resolutions for FY 2011, but that has since been put aside until the parameters of the healthcare debate are resolved.
2. SAFRA Bill drawn into Health Care Strategy
-The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 is legislation that would implement a number of Administration education priorities and would result in an estimated $87 billion over a ten-year period.
-The House passed the bill last September. The Senate has been stalled for months as leadership reserved reconciliation as a possible vehicle for health care reform. Changes in economic predictions and the interactions of the bill's content, has decreased the earlier savings predictions by as much as $20 billion forcing additional changes.
-Thursday, the House and Senate lawmakers held a press conference to urge their colleagues to include SAFRA legislation in the evolving reconciliation package that is at the center of the health care debate.
3.CCSSO and SETDA hold briefing on Future of Education Technology
-The briefing featured insights into the ED's draft of the National Educational Technology Plan and the soon to be FCC's National Broadband Plan.
-Karen Cator, Director of Education Technology at ED went through the plan's goals and how to effectively implement the plan.
-Steve Midgley, provided a glimpse of the soon to be released FCC's National Broadband Plan.
ED's draft National Educational Technology Plan is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/netp.pdf [1]
4. In Brief
-ED's ESEA Plan expected on the heels of the Common Core Standards
-Linked Learning: Pathways to College and Career Success
-Senate Commerce Committee holds hearing on Innovation
-ED Secretary to push schools on Civil rights Laws
-Final I3 Priorities Announced
-Senate HELP Committee holds its first ESEA Hearing
-AACTE calls for more clinical preparation of teachers
-ED sector and College summit examine College and Career Readiness
-New Business and Industry Stem Education Coalition Announced
Be sure to also check out sections #5 (New Publications) and **#6 (In the News) for articles of interest.