RRCNA Advocacy Update - November, 2008

Dear RRCNA Members:

Education-related Elections At-a-Glance: Expect widespread ripple effects as the Obama Administration ramps up and U.S. Senators and Representatives, Governors and senior Hill staff transition to the White House, cabinet departments, K Street lobbying firms and think tanks. This is in addition to the impact of five chief state school officer races, 11 governors, 35 U.S. Senators, the entire U.S. House of Representatives, more than 7300 state legislators and thousands of state and local school board elections. We welcome your thoughts about the impact of the election on your state or region.

Below are a few observations about immediate changes in the 1) Executive Branch, 2) U.S. House, 3) U.S. Senate, 4) State Results – Governors and Chief state school officers, 5) state legislatures, followed by 6) RRCNA resources for cultivating elected officials and other policy makers.

1. Executive Branch: What to watch: The U.S. Department of Education spends more than $60 billion annually for elementary, secondary and higher education, research and other programs. President-elect Obama will select a new Secretary of Education, an undersecretary, deputy secretary, several assistant secretaries and dozens of board and advisory committee members. Frequently mentioned names for key education policy positions in the new administration include: Linda Darling-Hammond (Stanford University), Christopher Edley (UC-Berkeley), Jon Schnur (New Leaders for New Schools), Arne Duncan (Chicago Public Schools), and current or former governors Jim Hunt (NC), Roy Roemer (CO) and Janet Napolitano (AZ). Policy: The President’s Budget Recommendation for FY 2010 (released early 2009) will signal early shifts in education policy. Look for an increased emphasis on early childhood education (including Head Start), teacher quality initiatives (including mentoring, reward systems, meeting the needs of underserved areas) and research on assessments and governance systems.
    
2. U.S. House of Representatives: The Democratic majority increased by at least 16 members on Election Day for a current total of 251 seats (MSNBC projects this number could rise to 261 seats). This is not a veto-proof majority (270), but the increase will shift the proportion of Democrats to Republicans on most committees in the 111th Congress. What to watch:

• The Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor-HHS-Education. Democrats likely will add members to the subcommittee, while the number of Republicans will be reduced. Additionally, most of the current Republican members of the subcommittee are retiring this year, so next year’s members may be completely new to the subcommittee. All of this could change the character and culture of the subcommittee.
   
• The Education & Labor Committee. Most of the current members of the Committee will return to the 111th Congress. However, Democrats may get as many as 3 additional members, and Republicans may lose the same number of seats on the committee. Look for work to resume on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka NCLB) reauthorization.
   

3. U.S. Senate: The Democratic majority increased by at least 5 seats (three states are still processing votes at this writing) for a total of 56 Democrats and 40 Republicans. It’s not a filibuster-proof majority, but the shift will increase the proportion of Democrats on committees. What to watch: Senator Kennedy is back in Washington, D.C. and will likely chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee again in the 111th Congress. In addition to those elected on November 4th, there will be a new Senator appointed from Illinois to replace Senator Obama. Will Illinois Governor Ron Blagojevich (D) appoint U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. or Rep. Jan Schakowsky (both Democrats from Illinois)? Senator Biden will also need a replacement, which is appointed by the Governor.
    
4. State results – Governors and Chief State School Officers.
   
   Governors: One Governor’s mansion will switch party from Republican to Democratic as a result of the election (Missouri). What to watch: State and local funding for education far exceeds what the federal government provides, so gubernatorial changes could result in a changed focus for education funding. In addition, of the 12 states with dedicated state funding for early reading interventions such as Reading Recovery, only one will experience a party switch (Missouri).
   
   Chief State School Officers (CSSO): What to watch: Impact of these five races could be subtle, as four were won by incumbents or a candidate of the same party. Nevertheless, the departure in Indiana of 16-year veteran Sue Ellen Reed could invoke a shift. Other new CSSO’s were elected in Montana and Washington State.
    
5. State legislatures: Both parties scored victories in 2008 with Democrats taking five chambers and Republicans earning four thus far. The Alaska Senate went from GOP to a 10-10 tie. Recounts and provisional ballots could decide the fate of the Texas House which stands at 76 Republicans to 74 Democrats. The Indiana and Montana Houses are still up in the air. As of now, the chamber count is 58-D, 37-R, 1-tied, 2 undecided.
    
6. RRCNA resources: All of these decision-makers will need information about Reading Recovery. These resources are available from RRCNA’s “Take Action” webpage.

• Sample “congratulations” letter for newly or re-elected officials.
• “Reading Recovery: A Guide for Decision Makers”
• “Reading Recovery: A Guide for Governors”

For more information contact Lucy Gettman, director of advocacy at lgettman@readingrecovery.org or 614-310-7329.

Political junkies can indulge at the following websites:

1. Real Clear Politics
2. CNN
3. Fox News
4. National Conference of State Legislatures