Monday, November 19, 2012

Loose ends, recurring partisan tensions to drive education agenda in Obama’s second term - The Washington Post

Loose ends, recurring partisan tensions to drive education agenda in Obama’s second term - The Washington Post:


Loose ends, recurring partisan tensions to drive education agenda in Obama’s second term

(Carolyn Kaster, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, gestures while speaking in a building under construction in Washington. Loose ends and thorny partisan tensions on education await the next Congress and President Barack Obama’s second term. First up is the fiscal cliff, which will slash billions from the Department of Education’s budget if lawmakers don’t act this year.
  • (Carolyn Kaster, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, gestures while speaking in a building under construction in Washington. Loose ends and thorny partisan tensions on education await the next Congress and President Barack Obama’s second term. First up is the fiscal cliff, which will slash billions from the Department of Education’s budget if lawmakers don’t act this year.
  • (Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - This May 4, 2012 file photo shows President Barack Obama, center, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, right, meeting with students and their parents at Washington-Lee high school in Arlington, Va. Loose ends and thorny partisan tensions on education await the next Congress and President Barack Obama’s second term. First up is the fiscal cliff, which will slash billions from the Department of Education’s budget if lawmakers don’t act this year. From left are, Brendan Craig, Kezia Truesdale, Amirah Delwin, Rina Castaneda, Elma Molina, and Tim Craig.
  • (Jacquelyn Martin, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - This July 19, 2012 file photo shows Education Secretary Arne Duncan during an interviewed wth The Associated Press in Washington. Loose ends and thorny partisan tensions on education await the next Congress and President Barack Obama’s second term. First up is the fiscal cliff, which will slash billions from the Department of Education’s budget if lawmakers don’t act this year.
  • (Charles Dharapak, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - This April 25, 2012 file photo shows House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. speaking on Capitol Hill in Washington. Loose ends and thorny partisan tensions on education await the next Congress and President Barack Obama’s second term. First up is the fiscal cliff, which will slash billions from the Department of Education’s budget if lawmakers don’t act this year.

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, November 19, 12:18 AM

WASHINGTON — Loose ends and thorny partisan issues that have long dogged attempts to move forward on education await the next Congress as President Barack Obama’s second term begins.
Soaring campaign-year aspirations to close the achievement gap and boost college graduation rates to the highest in the world may have to fall back to earth — at least temporarily — as lawmakers and Obama tackle a number of gritty funding-related issues that just can’t wait.
Loading...
Personal Post
First up is sequestration, the automatic, government-wide spending cuts set to knock out 8.2 percent of the funding to almost all of the Education Department’s programs — unless Congress acts before the end of the year to avert the cuts.
Programs intended to reduce educational inequities will take a hit of $1.3 billion, according 
at