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WELCOME Welcome
to the Policy Brief. The purpose of this brief is to provide
a
resource for teacher education professionals, administrators and
students from which teacher preparation, recruitment, retention and
renewal programs and policies can be developed. Background of Margaret Spellings, New U.S. Secretary of Education - Born in Michigan in 1957, Spellings moved with her family to Houston, Texas, where she attended public schools. She graduated from the University of Houston in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in political science and journalism. She is a mother of two school-aged daughters. Spellings is the first mother of school children to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education. During President George W. Bush's first term, Spellings served as Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy where she helped craft education policies, including the No Child Left Behind Act. She was also responsible for the development and implementation of White House policy on health, labor, transportation, justice, housing, and other elements of President Bush's domestic agenda. Prior to her White House appointment, Spellings worked for six years as Governor George W. Bush's Senior Advisor. Remarks by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings - Spellings delivered her speech for the swearing in ceremony attended by President Bush and other senior administration and congressional officials at the U.S. Department of Education's auditorium on January 31, 2005. Spellings vowed to "stay the course" on President George W. Bush's education agenda. About the No Child Left Behind Act, Spellings said, "we've learned a new equation -- accountability plus high expectations plus resources equals results." She stressed that the nation’s test scores in reading and math are rising, with disadvantaged and minority students leading the way. She also pointed out that the reforms of No Child Left Behind should be extended to high schools. Spellings Announces New Education Department Chief of Staff - Spellings announced the appointment of David Dunn as chief of staff for the Department of Education. Prior to his appointment, Dunn was special assistant to President Bush for domestic policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he handled all areas of education policy from early childhood through higher education. Secretary Spellings also announced the appointments of Emily Kertz Lampkin and Robin Gilchrist as deputy chiefs of staff.
Spellings: “Better Data Needed from Colleges” - Spellings indicates
that Colleges should use No Child Left Behind as a model for measuring
university performance and cutting the minority achievement gap on
their campuses. “One of our biggest challenges is a lack of compatible
and comprehensive measurements—the kind of Bush's budget proposal which
calls for an increase in the maximum Pell Grant award. But college
leaders expressed concern about other aspects of the president's
budget, including changes in student loan policies and cuts to federal
TRIO programs that support students. Budget
News—U.S. Department of Education – The previous link will lead
you to the latest news on funding of the U.S. Department of Education
programs, including congressional action on appropriations:
Congressional Action—On December 8, 2004, the President signed into law
P.L. 108-477, an omnibus appropriations bill providing FY 2005 funding
for 13 Federal departments, including the Department of Education. A
table (last updated 12/09/04) showing details on the amounts provided
for programs and activities of the Education Department.
Strengthening
Higher Education for a Successful Workforce- On January 14, 2005,
President Bush highlighted the need to do more to prepare high school
students for the future. His education proposals focus on the skills
needed by high school graduates to succeed in college and in a globally
competitive workforce. The Fiscal Year 2006 budget will provide $1.5
billion in funding for a new High School Initiative to help states hold
high schools accountable for teaching all students. This includes
requirements for state assessments in high school. President Bush will
propose to increase funding for his Striving Readers
program to $200 million annually, and will propose $269 million for the
Mathematics and Science Partnership program. To
reward teachers who demonstrate success in preparing their students
through increases in student achievement and teach in low-income
schools, he will propose a $500 million incentive fund for states and
school districts.
Baccalaureate Options - Community colleges traditionally offer postsecondary programs that are two years or less in duration, including the freshman and sophomore years of a bachelor’s degree, specialized vocational-technical programs, developmental education and community service education. But changing demographics, economic concerns and community and business expectations are now exerting pressure to add an additional mission to traditional community college roles—providing access to the baccalaureate degree. Some people believe the need for new and different types of baccalaureate education, such as technical degree programs, will outpace traditional four-year institutions’ capacity to provide it. The burgeoning number of high school graduates, continuing increase in adults returning to continue their education and increasing number of jobs requiring training beyond an associate’s degree are also contributing to the increased demand for baccalaureate degrees.
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