Afternoon Announcements: 5 Steps to Improve E-Rate

In less than a week, the interest rate on some federal student loans will double if Congress doesn’t act. A bipartisan group in the Senate announced a proposal late this week, but it’s unclear whether they will be able to get the bill to President Obama to sign before the deadline.Washington Post

The No Child Left Behind waiver count rose to 40 this week after Secretary of Education Arne Duncan awarded one to New Hampshire. Only five states have outstanding waiver requests. Politics K-12

E-rate, the program that ensures schools and libraries can access broadband and wireless internet at affordable rates, doesn’t offer enough connectivity as it currently stands. Here is a five-step plan to improve E-Rate. Ed Tech Magazine

Senator Harkin, chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, penned an editorial calling for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). “The Strengthening Schools Act, which I introduced, reaffirms our federal commitment ot protecting access and equity in public education for every child in America, while removing the burdensome regulations that have made NCLB unworkable for schools and states.”Education Week