NEW-TEACHER EXCELLENCE: Alliance to Hold Forum on High-Quality Teachers on December 12: The Alliance for Excellent Education in conjunction with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) will hold a special forum on recruiting, retaining, and preparing qualified teachers. The Alliance/AASA forum will provide recommendations designed to guide decision makers in their efforts to ensure that every student has access to qualified teachers in every classroom.

RETAINING OUR BEST: NCLB Implementation Must Address Teacher Attrition Problem: A new Alliance report, New-Teacher Excellence: Retaining Our Best, argues that as school districts around the nation work overtime to implement the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), they may inadvertently be accelerating the departure of experienced teachers and failing to provide struggling new teachers with the supports they need to become comfortable and effective in the classroom.

RETAINING OUR BEST: Successful Strategies to Support New Teachers and Keep Veteran Educators: School districts across the country will need to develop successful strategies both to support new teachers and to keep veteran educators in place if the nation is committed to making sure that no child is left behind. These strategies involve a two-pronged solution: financial incentives for teachers in high-poverty schools, and well-organized professional development and support systems-including new-teacher induction programs-for beginning teachers.

SUPPORT FOR NEW-TEACHER EXCELLENCE: New Reports Say Financial Incentives and Induction Programs are Successful Tools to Help Meet the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge: Two recent reports argue that financial incentives and induction programs are successful in both recruiting new teachers and retaining veteran educators. These reports will be addressed at the Alliance/AASA teacher forum on December 12.

FOCUS ON NEW TEACHERS: American School Board Journal Highlights Programs for New Teachers: The December 2002 American School Board Journal contains two articles on support programs for new teachers.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASES FINAL REGULATIONS FOR NCLB: Regulations Include Clarifications on Teacher Quality: After receiving over 700 comments from approximately 140 parties in regard to proposed regulations for the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige issued final regulations to further clarify federal, state, and local responsibilities under NCLB.

SEN. EDWARDS RELEASES EDUCATION PLAN: Focus on Recruiting Quality Teachers, High School Graduation: In the last of three speeches about "some ideas for our country's direction," potential Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) outlined a sweeping education plan to give every student the opportunity to go to college and to place a good teacher in every classroom. In his November 21 speech at the University of Maryland, Edwards called education the "key to opportunity," and listed improvements that he would make to strengthen education from kindergarten through the 12th grade level and open the doors at America's colleges and universities.

NATION'S GOVERNORS ISSUE AN S.O.S.: State Governors Look to Federal Government as State Budget Shortfalls Continue to Balloon: A recent report by the National Governors Association cited plunging tax collections and soaring medical costs as major factors that have led to the worst fiscal problems for states since WWII. In 2002, 46 states faced a collective budget shortfall of $49.1 billion. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the nation's governors are placing much of the blame on the federal government and its new mandates, on last year's $1.35 trillion federal tax cut.

ELECTION WRAP-UP: American Voters Elect a Republican Senate, Support Education Ballot Initiatives Across the Country: On Wednesday, Nov. 6, Americans awoke to election returns that gave control of the U.S. Senate to the Republican party. While most national elections seemed to hinge on the President's popularity, homeland security and a possible war with Iraq, voters showed that the issue of education is still one of their top concerns by supporting successful education ballot initiatives across the country. In a result that speaks volumes about voters' commitment to the issue of education, voters in state after state approved education initiatives during a time when most states are facing a budget deficit and no clear additional sources of revenue are in sight.

Election Produces Changes in Committee Chairmen and Party Leadership: As a result of Republican wins in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, several changes are forthcoming in the makeup of party leadership and Committee Chairmen. The Republican party now holds at least 51 seats, a two-seat majority and a net gain of three seats in the Senate. In the House, Republican will control at least 228 seats, only two less than when they were first swept into power by the "Contract with America" platform.

STATE BUDGET CUTS CONTINUE TO AFFECT EDUCATION: Colorado Education Officials Told to Expect Funding Cuts: In mid-November, the school finance chief for the Colorado Department of Education warned Colorado school districts that mid-year budget cuts in education are very possible as the state struggles to eliminate a $388 million shortfall. Jefferson public schools chief financial officer Ken Hoover told the Rocky Mountain News that his district has been told to expect a 1 to 2 percent cut in funding. Each 1 percent equals approximately $4.5 million.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg Announces New Tweed Academy: New York City Mayor Michael B. Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel I. Klein recently announced plans for the new Tweed Academy. It will act as a first-rate educational center that aims to promote literacy among all students. During traditional school hours, elementary and middle school classes from all of New York City's five boroughs will participate in alternating two-week intensive academic "residencies" at the Academy.

REP. JACKSON TOUTS EDUCATION AS A HUMAN RIGHT: Constitutional Amendment Would Ensure Quality Education for All Students: In a recent speech at Brown University, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) made his case for a constitutional amendment that would guarantee quality public education and health care for every United States citizen.

ONLY 69 PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADUATE: New Report Examines Graduation Rates for All 50 States: A new report, Public School Graduation Rates in the United States, by Jay Greene of the Manhattan Institute examines high school graduation rates by state and found that the national graduation rate for the public school class of 2000 was 69 percent, up one percentage point from last year. The rate for white students was 76 percent; for Asian students it was 79 percent; for African-American students it was 55 percent; for Hispanic students it was 53 percent.