A recent National Public Radio report by Robert Benincasa found that while the California Teacher Association (CTA) spent $1.25 million to defeat Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage,

WASHINGTON- Education Secretary Arne Duncan last week praised President Barack Obama's intent to nominate Russlynn Ali as the assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education.

Duncan said, "Russlynn brings passion for, expertise in and dedication to equality and fairness in education, and her tireless work and commitment have changed the lives of low-income students from across the nation. I very much look forward to working with her."

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Education and Labor Committee's purpose is to ensure that Americans' needs are addressed so that students and workers may move forward in a changing school system and a competitive global economy. The committee and its five subcommittees oversee education and workforce programs that affect all Americans, from early learning through secondary education, from job training through retirement.

The Committee is scheduled to meet next week as follows:

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today expressed his support for President Obama’s intended nomination of the following individuals as Assistant Secretaries for the U.S. Department of Education: Carmel Martin, Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development; and Peter Cunningham, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach.

December 17, 2008

Chicago’s Arne Duncan named Education secretary-designate