Free Republic

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to Lead Delegation of U.S. University Presidents to Latin America Delegation to Promote U.S. Higher Education, Encourage International Students to Study in the U.S. FOR RELEASE: August 8, 2007 Contact: Rebecca Neale Casey Ruberg (202) 401-1576 Washington, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced that she will lead a delegation of eight U.S. college and university presidents with the U.S. Department of State to Chile and Brazil from August 18-24, 2007, touting the importance of higher education partnerships and exchanges between the United States and other nations. While in Latin America, the delegation...

President Bush spent the day in North Carolina Traveling with the president were Press Secretary Tony Snow and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings After arriving in Greensboro, NC, the president enjoyed a barbeque lunch at Stamey’s Restaurant, then visited nearby Waldo C. Falkener Elementary School where he spoke about the No Child Left Behind initiative. Later, President Bush traveled a few miles further south to visit The Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC, then on to speak at a private GOP fundraiser. Enjoy your Wednesday visit to Sanity Island

NASHVILLE - Funding for colleges is threatened by a "growing political one-sidedness" on many campuses, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander told higher education officials Friday. "How many conservative speakers are invited to deliver commencement addresses? How many colleges require courses in U.S. history? How many even teach Western civilization? ... Those are politically unacceptable topics," the Tennessee Republican testified before the Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The commission - created by U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings this fall - met in Nashville Thursday and Friday and will hold similar meetings across the country during the next several months. By...

Neal McCluskey is an education policy analyst at the Cato Institute. American higher education is getting dangerously fat. Unfortunately, the federal government's idea of a diet is to feed colleges more and cut back on their exercise. The signs of bloat are clear. According to a recent report from the College Board, between 2004 and 2005 — what seems like the hundredth straight year — the average price of tuition grew faster than inflation. Consider some of the recent binges the money went to pay for: American University president Benjamin Ladner, whose $633,000 salary and substantial university-owned house apparently weren't...

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said Monday the "achievement gap is beginning to close" between Hispanic and white students, while Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton countered that she's not convinced the federal government is doing enough to help Hispanic youth get through school. Spellings and Clinton each spoke at the convention of the National Council of La Raza, a four-day event that ends Tuesday. The two did not dispute statistics that show Latino students have the nation's highest high school dropout rate and the lowest college enrollment rate, but diverged on whether the government is fixing the problem. Praising No Child...

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plans to fundamentally change enforcement of the No Child Left Behind law, giving preferential treatment to states that prove they're serious about raising achievement, Bush administration officials say. The change could affect the education of millions of students as states seek federal approval on everything from teacher quality to the measuring of student progress. In the first example, the Education Department plans to give some states more freedom in how they test hundreds of thousands of children with milder disabilities. But only states that can prove progress or a strong commitment to improve will be seriously...

President Bush and Senator Grassley promoted reform of the Social Security system via talk radio while visiting a community college, and also visiting with senior citizens, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In Afghanistan, Laura Bush highlighted women's achievements in that country, visiting the Women's Teacher's Training Institute at Kabul University. Secretary of Education Spellings joined her. Mrs. Bush announced the United States' commitment to provide more than $15 Million for building a new university in Kabul. She visited with coalition troops at Bagram Air Base in Kabul and ate dinner with them. There are many really great photos today. Enjoy your...

La., 12 other states agree to raise high school standards By BEN FELLER AP education writer WASHINGTON -- A coalition of 13 states confirmed plans Sunday to require tougher high school courses and diploma requirements, changes that could affect about one in three students. The announcement is the most tangible sign that the nation's governors, gathered in the capital for a summit on improving high schools, want to see that progress quickly. The participating states have committed to making their core high school classes and tests more rigorous, and to match their graduation standards with the expectations of employers and...

A spokesman for PBS said that the government-funded network had agreed not to air the cartoon. "Postcards From Buster" shows the title character, an animated bunny, on a trip to Vermont, a state that recognizes homosexual civil unions. The episode included two lesbian couples. Spellings told PBS (1) that her department's seal or any statement linking the department to the show be removed, (2) that PBS notify its member stations the nature of the show, and (3) that a refund "in the interest of avoiding embroiling the Ready-to-Learn program in a controversy that will only hurt it." PBS, unlike other...

This is an update email I received that might interest many. I wrote the suggested letter to Margaret Spellings, and hope you all will also. SHe is being bombarded by the homosexual activists. Lets show her our suppost!! Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, in her first day on the job, told Public Broadcasting System officials that a cartoon promoting the homosexual lifestyle should not be broadcast on their tax-supported stations. She said that many parents would not want their children exposed to the homosexual lifestyle. A spokesman for PBS said that the government-funded network had agreed not to air the...

Welcome to the Internet Smile Factor. Margaret Spellings was sworn in as the new Education Secretary. President Bush welcomed the Detroit Pistons, NBA champions, in a ceremony at the White House today. Bush named Dr. Jack Crouch II to be Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor. Dr. Crouch is U.S. Ambassador to Romania. The president will give his State of the Union Address on Wednesday, February 2. Joining Senators Kennedy and Kerry in the Political Fossil Corner, Gorbachev called the Iraq elections fake, and a profanation. Senator James McDermottt, D-WA ("Baghdad Jim") emitted similar frantic wailings. Enjoy...

The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles. The not-yet-aired episode of "Postcards From Buster" shows the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, on a trip to Vermont — a state known for recognizing same-sex civil unions. The episode features two lesbian couples, although the focus is on farm life and maple sugaring. A PBS spokesman said late Tuesday that the nonprofit network has decided not to distribute the episode, called "Sugartime!," to its 349 stations. She...

WASHINGTON -- The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles. The not-yet-aired episode of "Postcards From Buster" shows the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, on a trip to Vermont -- a state known for recognizing same-sex civil unions. The episode features two lesbian couples, although the focus is on farm life and maple sugaring. A PBS spokesman said late Tuesday that the nonprofit network has decided not to distribute the episode, called "Sugartime!," to its 349...

The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles. The not-yet-aired episode of Postcards From Buster shows the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, on a trip to Vermont — a state known for recognizing same-sex civil unions. The episode features two lesbian couples, although the focus is on farm life and maple sugaring. A PBS spokeswoman said late Tuesday that the nonprofit network has decided not to distribute the episode, called Sugartime!, to its 349 stations. Buster...

The nominations of Condoleezza Rice for secretary of state and of Margaret Spellings as secretary of education were visually intriguing events, most notably because President Bush puckered up and gave both of them a congratulatory kiss. The president did not kiss Alberto Gonzales, his nominee for attorney general. He was congratulated with a strong handshake and the sort of torso tackle that men give each other in lieu of an actual hug. [...] As much as could be determined from the photo record, the president has never publicly kissed Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld or Health and Human Services Secretary...

[snip] Spellings became the subject of conservative sniping soon after moving to Washington after she was asked on C-SPAN to react to census data showing a decline in the traditional family. "So what?" she replied, noting that there were "lots of different types of family" and that she herself was "a single mom." [/snip]

Extending grace and compassion to the PETA crowd, along with another more particularly touched by the action, President Bush pardoned the national Thanksgiving turkey at the White House today. Staffing changes: Bush named Harriet Miers as White House counsel, to succeed Alberto Gonzales. Margaret Spellings, the current White House domestic policy adviser and long-time Texas associate, was chosen by President Bush to replace Rod Paige as Education Secretary. The president met with National Medal of Arts recipients opera composer Carlisle Floyd from Latta, S.C., left, and dancer, producer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, of Portland, Ind., in the Oval Office. Bush...