CEC Policy Insider

Welcome to the CEC Policy Insider Blog!

CEC is pleased to offer the Policy Insider as a regularly updated blog, a complement to the weekly digest you’ve come to rely on for the latest in special and gifted education policy news.

The CEC Policy Insider digest, which comes via e-mail every Wednesday, will be a round-up of stories from the blog, where you can always find news in its entirety. Sign up for CEC's Policy Insider digest today!

 

 

Congress Funds Government Through December: IDEA Full Funding Bills Need Your Support!

Congress has yet to pass an education budget for fiscal year 2010, despite the fact that the federal fiscal year began on October 1. Currently, Congress has - through a bill called a continuing resolution - funded the federal government at FY2009 levels through December 18. According to conventional wisdom, and several key appropriations staffers, Congress is unlikely to pass the FY 2010 education budget until the Health Care overhaul is decided one way or the other. 
 

Secretary Arne Duncan: Colleges of Education Must Improve Teaching Programs

At Columbia Teachers College, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called for America’s colleges of education to dramatically change how they prepare the next generation of teachers so that they are ready to prepare their future students for success in college and careers.

Noting that America’s schools will need to hire up to 200,000 first-time teachers annually for the next five years, Duncan said that those new teachers need the knowledge and skill to prepare students for success in the global economy.

Read the U.S. Department of Education press release.

Read the entire speech.

View a video of the speech video here.

Obama Signs Historic Federal Hate Crimes Legislation Protecting People with Disabilities

President Barack Obama signed historic hate crimes legislation on Wednesday outlawing hate crimes against people based on disability, gender, and sexual orientation.  This legislation, called the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, proved quite controversial among many in Congress and has been debated for nearly ten years, however this year the legislation garnered enough support to pass.  CEC consistently supported the Act, which mirrors its policies and vision and will provide much needed protections for people with disabilities.

Secretary Duncan, Gingrich, and Sharpton Begin Education Tour

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton recently joined U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan on an education tour of several cities to highlight education issues and help rally support for:

•    higher learning standards 
•    lifting restrictions on the growth of high-quality charter schools
•    turning around low-performing schools
•    improving principal and teacher quality
•    greater transparency and accountability in all schools