Between August recess and time focused on the election, there has been little action on major legislation in the U.S. Congress. However, there have been other developments relating to education policy in Washington, DC. Here’s a brief overview:

U.S. House of Representatives Debates English-Only Legislation
Right before breaking for August recess, the House Committee on Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, heard H.R. 997, “The English Language Unity Act of 2011.” The proposed legislation is one of a handful of bills that would make English the official language of the United States. Specifically, H.R. 997 would require the federal government to conduct official functions, whether in the private or public sector, only in English, and would also require naturalization candidates to understand the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Although a handful of English-only bills are typically introduced at the beginning of each Congress, this is the first time in several years there has been a hearing on this issue. In fact, news of the hearing came as somewhat of a surprise to many since this issue has not seen much (if any) traction in recent years.

No vote was taken on the bill, and no markup session has been scheduled. Get a summary of the hearing.

U.S. Senate Examines Impact of Sequestration
At the end of July, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) held a hearing on the impact of the pending cuts on domestic discretionary spending scheduled for January 2013. Also known as sequestration, the mandatory cuts are a result of the deals negotiated as part of Budget Control Act passed by Congress in 2011.

According to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the first witness to testify, if the sequester occurs on 2 January 2013, all education programs with the exception of Pell Grants will be cut by 7.8%. The impact of those cuts will be felt immediately by Impact Aid recipients; however, recipients of Title I, Title III, Career and Technical Education, and other formula grant programs to states will not be impacted until school year 2014-2015.

Duncan emphasized that these cuts would stop education reform in its tracks as states, also facing severe budget shortfalls, will be unable to fill in the gaps. Calling education “the cornerstone to our economy,” Duncan pleaded with the Members present to develop a balanced approach to deficit reduction rather than allowing the deep, indiscriminate cuts that sequestration would require. Following the Secretary’s remarks, a panel of state education officials spoke about the impact sequestration would have on their individual budgets.

Read a summary of the testimony presented at the hearing, including a recorded webcast of the hearing.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Presents Annual “Back to School” Address
On 2 October 2012, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan delivered his annual “Back to School Address” at the National Press Club. His speech, titled “Moving Forward, Staying Focused,” was given to an audience that included education reporters, stakeholders, and Department of Education (ED) staff. He spoke about the successes that education has had over the past three and a half years and the challenges that our country faces towards improving educational outcomes.

In his address, Secretary Duncan discussed his recent 3-week back-to-school, cross-country bus tour, ESEA flexibility waivers, and updates on Race to the Top. He also outlined the priorities for the U.S. Department of Education, including closing the skills gap, reforming career education, more support and training for principals and teachers, and passage of the DREAM Act.

Get a summary of Secretary Duncan’s speech.

Presidential Candidates Educational Platforms
With the U.S. general election just around the corner, the presidential campaigns have been providing more detailed information on each candidate’s platform. Get a summary of the education platforms of President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

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