The administration has released its 2010 budget overview. Perusing the Department of Education section, there are some newsy tidbits on NCLB, charters, and higher ed policy:
- Everyone wants to know what Obama is planning in terms of the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act -- you know it as No Child Left Behind. The budget gives a major hint that a push toward national standards will be a priority: "Building on the Recovery Act, the new Administration will help States increase the rigor of their standards so they prepare students for success in college and a career. Resources will also be available to improve the quality of assessments, including assessments for students with disabilities and English language learners. Such reforms will lay the groundwork for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act."
- On charters, Obama is again splitting the difference between teachers' unions and more aggressive reformers, acknowledging that the charter sector should expand, but that some charters really suck: "the Budget increases funding for the Charter School program to support the expansion of successful charter school models, while increasing State oversight to monitor and shut down low-performing charter schools."
- Recognizing that the push for college access for low-income and minority students must be complemented by a new focus on college completion, the administration is proposing a $2.5 billion Access and Completion Incentive Fund, "to support innovative State efforts to help low-income students succeed and complete their college education."
- The administration wants to originate all student loans in the direct lending program, cutting out wasteful middle-men. This is a very good thing, as it will save the federal government billions of dollars that can be funneled back to students.
--Dana Goldstein
