Obama's Second Term: What's Ahead for Education Policy

After a bitterly fought election, many in education are left to wonder: What's ahead for President Barack Obama in his second term?


This year Americans will be reintroduced to a president who in his first term directed large amounts of federal funds to education. At the start of his presidency, Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided billions of dollars to education, including his signature education program, Race to the Top. But, during a hard-fought 2012 campaign, Obama spoke very little about future plans for education. For the most part, he relied on his previous record to win the support of voters. Now that there are critical issues and fiscal uncertainties looming, policymakers, school leaders, and educators alike are asking how education will be impacted in the next four years.


Many K-12 leaders already are focused on important issues, like implementation of the Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluation, the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act and waivers under that law, the continuance of federal programs like Race to the Top, and school safety measures and gun control. For each of these issues, there are obstacles and pushback from policymakers. And, there are expectations that the U.S. Department of Education will focus on new initiatives in areas like early education and higher education.


In Obama's Second Term: What's Ahead for Education Policy, Education Week editors provide a variety of perspectives looking at the policy future ahead for education. This e-book contains stories from Education Week reporters, including articles by Alyson Klein and Michele McNeil, authors of Politics K-12 blog. The e-book also contains first-person analysis from commentary contributors, such as Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute, and Teaching Ahead: A Roundtable, an interactive project developed by Education Week Teacher and the Center for Teaching Quality and featuring teacher-led discussions on America's public schools.


Articles:

-Obama Wins Second Term as President

-Obama Uses Funding, Executive Muscle to Make Often-Divisive Agenda a Reality

-Duncan Sketches Out 'Long Haul' Agenda

-Newtown Massacre Reignites Federal Gun-Policy Debate

-Postelection, Kline Talks ESEA Renewal, Fiscal Cliff, and Bipartisanship 


Commentaries:

-Four More Years: What Now?

-A Lesson Plan for Education Reform

-Note to POTUS: Stop the Numbers Game in School Reform

-Mr. President, Can We Repay our 'Educational Debt'?