Amid a struggling economy, a raft of foreign-policy headaches, and the tail end of a heated campaign season, President Barack Obama carved out time in his schedule last month to watch students in the State Dining Room demonstrate a solar-powered model car, a water-purification system, and a soccer-playing robot. The science fair was the fifth…

President Barack Obama campaigned on a message of change, but when it comes to K-12 education, he appears to be walking in the policy footsteps of his recent predecessors, including George W. Bush. Obama is sounding themes of accountability based on standards and assessments. He is delivering tough talk on teacher quality, including a call for…

Margaret Spellings, 47, was named in November by President Bush to replace Education Secretary Rod Paige, who tendered his resignation shortly after the 2004 election. Spellings has won strong votes of confidence from both sides of the political aisle, as well as from national education groups. And yet, at least some educators outside the…

The U.S. Department of Education will see its smallest budget increase in nearly a decade under the catchall spending plan approved by the Republican-controlled Congress in a lame-duck session. For the first time since President Bush entered office, the budget will fall short of his overall request for education funding. The final fiscal 2005…

This article deals with President Bush's plan to push for expanded accountability in high school. President Bush will enter his second term with a range of campaign plans on education, from expanded testing demands to new cash awards for effective teachers, only some of which are likely to become law. One thing is clear, the controversial No Child…

This article discusses the reason behind President Bush's selection of Margaret Spellings as his new secretary of education. President Bush's decision to nominate Margaret Spellings, his chief domestic-policy adviser, as the new U.S. secretary of education, signals a steady course on education policymaking from the administration. It also suggests…