The Important Role of August Recess in the Political and Legislative Process

Washington, DC empties out quickly in early August as members of Congress race to highways and airports to begin their month-long "district work period." Packed with town hall meetings, "listening sessions," Rotary club speeches, county fair walkthroughs, political fundraisers and events, with some time squeezed in for a family vacation, August is a hectic time for any senator or House member. I remember returning to Washington a few times in September so exhausted that the routine of committee meetings, constant votes, and late night sessions was actually a relief. (Watch video of Gov. Wise talking about the August recess by clicking on the image to the left).

The importance of the August recess in the political and legislative process is rarely noted, yet this four- to five-week period may do more to shape each year's political direction than any other time of year. And for constituents, August presents the best opportunity to weigh in on past legislative actions while trying to shape future ones.

So why is August such a critical month for federal decisionmakers?

Highlights from Debt, Default, and Dropouts: A Congressional Report

Last week, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, was joined by Phillip Lovell, the Alliance's vice president of federal advocacy, and Amanda Beaumont, the Alliance's director of federal advocacy for a webinar on the congressional debate on the debt-limit ceiling.

During the webinar, Wise, Lovell, and Beaumont discussed how the debate over the debt limit impacts education reform. They also discussed recent action by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Additionally, they dicussed the U.S. Department of Education's plans to provide waivers to states in the event that Congress does not act to reauthorize ESEA.

A short (four minutes) highlight video from the webinar is available below. The complete video from the webinar is available at http://media.all4ed.org/webinar-aug-1-2011.

Lessons From Atlanta

The cheating scandal that has engulfed the Atlanta public schools (and similar scandals that are bubbling up in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and elsewhere) ought to serve as a "teachable moment" to point to a path forward in how we think about holding schools and educators accountable for student performance. Unfortunately, the incident has provoked a predictable response: those who object to high-stakes testing have used the case to renew calls to ease up on accountability, while those who favor strong accountability say that all that needs to happen is to tighten up on test security.

Neither of these responses addresses the real issue. Accountability is necessary, and easing up on it will not provide children or schools the help they need. At the same time, simply improving test security is not enough.

Time to Expand Access to Deeper Learning So All Students Can Benefit

In a June 1 article for the New York Times, Jenny Anderson profiles Calhoun School, which, according to its website is a "progressive, independent, college preparatory school located in the heart of Manhattan's West Side. Founded in 1896, Calhoun has grown into a two-building coeducational institution with 670 students, ranging from three-year-olds to twelfth graders." While Anderson doesn't refer to it directly in her article, it appears that the students at Calhoun benefit from an educational approach known to many as "deeper learning." [image via]

Alliance President Bob Wise on "Focus Washington" Discussing National Poll on Education

Earlier this month, Alliance President Bob Wise appeared on "Focus Washington" to discuss the results from the Alliance's poll on voter attitudes heading into the 2010 congressional elections.

During the program, Wise discussed the crowded congressional calendar, but stressed that the American public wants Congress to improve the quality of public high schools through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.