National Coalition for Literacy

—Weekly Recap on Education Policy and Advocacy

State of the Union Address, Presidential Elections, Budget and Appropriations, House Adult Literacy Caucus Briefing, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Extension, ESEA Reauthorization, and Raising the Debt Ceiling

By Ellen Fern and Jackie Taylor

State of the Union Address

Both chambers of the Congress were in Washington this week following an extended recess. President Obama greeted them with a lengthy State of the Union (SOTU) address that was—not surprisingly—praised by Democrats and panned by Republicans. Now that both parties have heard the President’s wish list for the year and held their respective annual retreats to plan their legislative agendas, activity can begin. Hopefully. See this full summary of education recommendations from the State of the Union Address and adult education’s advocacy activity during SOTU.

Presidential Elections

Presidential, not congressional, politics are stealing most of the public’s attention at the moment. Republican primary debate number eighteen was held in Jacksonville, Florida this week, and the 4th primary vote will take place in that state on Tuesday. So far, there is no clear challenger to President Obama who is seeking his second term in November.

FY 2013 Budget and Appropriations

The release of the Administration’s FY 2013 budget has been postponed until February 13th, providing more time to study the recommendations from the SOTU and anticipate this year’s funding priorities for education. In his speech, President Obama made a strong case for making college more affordable, reforming teacher education programs, reducing classroom time spent on testing and encouraging and supporting talented teachers. He referenced the impact of the Race to the Top Program as a catalyst for education reform and the important role community colleges can play in retraining workers, reiterating his view that education is the path to economic recovery.

House Adult Literacy Caucus Briefing

The National Coalition for Literacy is gearing up for the second briefing of the House Adult Literacy Caucus. Be sure to call the education staffs of your U.S. Representative and Senators and extend a personal invitation to them to attend.

Campaign for a Fair Unemployment Insurance Extension

The National Coalition for Literacy is continuing its Campaign for a Fair Unemployment Insurance Extension. Supporters of the campaign include the Coalition on Human Needs and the National Skills Coalition. NCL is meeting with conferees and urging advocates to contact their Members of Congress. If you haven’t yet, make your call today. Take action through NCL’s Facebook page for greater impact.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is still the major business before the education committees in the Congress. The draft bills released two weeks ago by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair John Kline (R-MN) will soon be introduced as legislation and marked up in the Committee, probably before the end of February. Without any Democratic support, it is unlikely that the Senate will take up the House measure or its own bill, leaving Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as the key education policymaker as he approves state waivers from the provisions of the No Child left Behind Act. Clearly, the Administration views the waiver plan as preferable to either the bipartisan bill produced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee or the Kline drafts. The second round of waiver applications are due shortly. Forty states have said they will submit applications, having lost faith in the possibility of Congressional action.

Debt Ceiling Raised by $1.2 Trillion

The Congress did complete some important bipartisan business this week. The debt ceiling was raised by $1.2 trillion on Friday, absent the acrimonious debate this action usually generates. And in the House on Thursday, in a rare display of unity, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) tearfully accepted the resignation of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). Just before that ceremony, on a vote of 408-0 the House unanimously approved a bill important to Congresswoman Giffords that affects border states. If only that sense of cooperation could last throughout the year.