From guest blogger Stephen Sawchuk Senate Republicans have a lot to be grouchy about these days, it seems. And, as I discovered this morning, some of them aren't just irritated by the Democrats' handling of the stimulus proposal, but also at the Bush Administration's handling of the No Child Left Behind Act in the administration's final days. In remarks at a conference on federal-education priorities sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute and others, Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander's top aide, David Cleary, had some choice comments about the new and old administrations. "I didn't realize how much we liked Arne Duncan ...

As the House of Representatives debated the $825 billion stimulus measure, which members are expected to vote on tonight, Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, held a conference call with reporters to talk about the money for education in the stimulus package. Republicans, including the Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon of California, the top GOP member of the House education panel, have expressed concern that it might be tough to take programs like Title I and spending for students in special education back down to their current levels after the record increases in ...

The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved some $125 billion on education programs as part of a mammoth $825 billion economic stimulus package. The bill was approved on a 21-9 vote, with some more moderate Republicans crossing over to vote with the Democrats. Other GOP lawmakers, however, argued that they were shut out of the process of crafting the bill and that the measure would do little to stimulate the stumbling economy. The education provisions in the Senate bill are pretty similar to those in the House version of the measure, as I detailed here. Additionally, there's $16 billion for K-12 ...

The bill would provide about $125 billion for education programs.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., may have lost the White House but he got the next best thing: A seat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

There's been a lot of speculation that some of the folks who attended a meeting with Duncan this morning may be tapped for key positions in the U.S. Department of Education.

I'm sitting in the House Appropriations Committee's markup on the $825 billion federal stimulus package and it looks like it's going to be a very late evening. Republicans say they are concerned about how quickly the legislation is being pushed through. They say there hasn't been much bipartisan cooperation and that members haven't had a lot of time to ask questions about the measure, which includes some $122 billion for education. But Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., the appropriations committee's chairman and a key author of the legislation, argued that the committee has gotten input from anyone who offered it, ...

The Senate confirmed former Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan as U.S. Secretary of Education yesterday. The confirmation isn't a surprise, given the warm reception Duncan got from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. But, now that Duncan is officially in place, we may start hearing about some of the other positions in the Department of Education. In the meantime, this afternoon the House Appropriations Committee is going to consider the $825 billion stimulus package, which would provide more than $120 billion for education programs. Check back at edweek.org, and this blog for the latest....

If you're on the Mall waiting for the inaugural parade, or planning to catch it on TV from the warmth of your living rooms, keep your eyes peeled for hats, gloves, and scarves bearing the National Education Association's logo.

In his inaugural address, President Barack Obama made few explicit references to education. But his speech expounded upon themes of both public and personal accountability that are likely to influence his policy positions on education reform.