Hearing on state of charter schools exemplifies divisiveness of issue

The House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a June 1 hearing on the state of charter schools in America. The testimony and series of questions and answers spanned nearly three hours, covering topics like charter school accreditation processes, the increased role of private management firms in More…

Lame duck preview: The last hurrah for a Democratic Congress

The midterm hangover having finally worn off, the 111th Congress returns today to kick off the lame-duck session, its last hurrah before its successor takes over. And the 112th Congress will look radically different, with Republicans in control of the House and the Democratic majority in the Senate significantly reduced. More…

Obey, Miller Chide WaPo Editorial Page for Rapping Education Jobs Bill

The Washington Post editorial page is a perennial bugaboo for progressive blogs and think tanks — with editor Fred Hiatt taking fire for, among many choices, his selection of Sarah Palin to opine on climate change, his defense of George W. Bush’s handling of prewar intelligence and his More…

Massey Miner: Upper Big Branch Was ‘Ticking Time Bomb’

Members of the House Education and Labor Committee are holding a satellite hearing this morning in Beckley, W.Va., to examine the Upper Big Branch mine explosion, which killed 29 Massey miners and almost killed a 30th not far from Beckley.

What’s striking is how closely today’s testimony from More…

House Dems Announce Mine Safety Field Hearing

The witnesses have yet to be named, but the House Education and Labor Committee, headed by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), announced this afternoon that panel leaders will soon be traveling to Beckley, W.Va., for a May 24 hearing on mine safety — a reaction to the blast that More…

Mining Safety Agency Releases List of Worst Mines in the Country (Including Upper Big Branch)

In February, White House mining safety officials told leaders on the House Education and Labor Committee some startling news: There were 48 mines across the nation, they said, that would likely be subject to the “pattern of violations” standard allowing the government to shutter the projects for the sake of miner More…

A Note on Washington’s Failure to Modernize Mining Safety Standards

The Charleston Gazette runs a story today providing further suggestion that a failed 2008 mining safety bill might have helped prevent last week’s deadly mining explosion in southern West Virginia. Here’s the thing: Despite the evolution of coal mining and the embrace of powerful More…

Bernanke: ‘Significant Amount of Time’ Before Jobs Return

This morning, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before Congress on the condition of the economy. His comments were generally positive, but he cited serious concerns with the labor market and said it will take a “significant amount of time” before the 8.5 million jobs lost in the recession More…

Here Come the Hearings on Massey

No date has been set, but congressional leaders are already vowing to hold hearings on the circumstances leading up to Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch mine explosion Monday that killed at least 25 West Virginia coal miners. Here’s the latest release from the House Education and Labor Committee, More…

Student Lending: The Forgotten Reform

With today’s headlines screaming (perfectly legitimately) about last night’s health reform votes, it’s easy to forget that House lawmakers also passed the most sweeping reforms to hit the nation’s student lending system in decades.

The health care reconciliation bill, while predominately made up of health-focused reforms, More…