As she has just reported over at her own blog, my colleague and fellow blogger Lesli Maxwell is bidding adieu to Education Week. Today is her last day. Her work has intersected often with federal policy and politics. She has doggedly tracked the $4 billion being spent to turn around the nation's worst-performing schools, a priority for EdSec Arne Duncan. We teamed up to predict winners in Rounds 1 and 2 of Race to the Top. And, I think her question about charter schools was the one that most riled up Duncan when he did an hour-long interview with EdWeek ...

In advance of tonight's vote, the White House has thrown its unequivocal weight behind the edujobs measure. The administration released this statement, urging Congress to pass the bill. The Administration strongly supports Senate passage of [the measure], which would provide much-needed relief to teachers and critical assistance to hard-pressed States. Since teachers are essential to the quality of education that the Nation affords its children and to America's long-term strength and security, the Administration strongly supports the $10 billion Education Jobs Fund to avert the layoff of hundreds of thousands of public school teachers as students return to school in ...

Applicants who scored the highest in the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant competition will be announced Thursday by the Education Department, so stay tuned to this space for details on who won, who lost, and what it all means. But first, an important caveat. These applicants are not quite winners until they've secured their 20 percent private-sector match, a requirement for winning (unless they've gotten a waiver). They must do so by Sept. 8 or risk not getting their grant. While you're waiting to see who wins, read up on who wants this money, the role of philanthropies in ...

The Senate is scheduled to vote tonight on a measure that would provide $10 billion to stave off education layoffs.

The president told members of the National Urban League that his signature education initiative holds particular promise for poor and minority students in low-performing schools.

President Obama hoped to quell concerns about his administration's signature education initiative—the $4 billion Race to the Top program—with a speech to the National Urban League.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan defended his reform agenda before the National Urban League on Wednesday, declaring that the arguments being made against the agenda were flat out wrong.

Yesterday, Congress officially passed an emergency spending bill—without the edujobs money. Right now, there just doesn't seem to be a legislative vehicle for the $10 billion that supporters say is needed to help prevent hundreds of thousands of layoffs around the country. That despite fervent lobbying efforts by education organizations. As we mentioned earlier, advocates were eyeing legislation giving aid to small businesses as a potential next vehicle for the education jobs funding, but it's not clear if that's going to work out. The jobs money is stuck partly because of opposition from moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats in the...

The president's signature education reform initiative would get $675 million in fiscal 2011 under a measure funding U.S. Department of Education programs.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced today that 19 finalists, including surprise picks Hawaii and Arizona, will compete for a cut of $3.4 billion in Race to the Top, Round Two.