Afternoon Announcements: Senate Panel Approves Increased Funds for Early-Childhood Education

A Senate appropriations panel approved a $1.6 billion increase for Head Start – the main federal program financing early-childhood education – plus $750 million in new money to help states improve the quality of their preschool programs.Politics K-12

Education Department Secretary Arne Duncan issued a statement in response to the Senate panel vote to invest in early learning. He said, “Providing families with this tremendous opportunity for kids toe xcel will be critical t our national success for decades to come.”Education Department

The House version of the No Child Left Behind rewrite has gotten further than most pundits imagined it could go this year. It will head to the House floor next week, and the bill’s sponsors (republicans)  are looking to educate members. Politics K-12

Students in 28 public schools across New York City were given Sony videocameras to record what life is like on the streets where they live. Some of the videos are inspirational, some funny, and some incredibly serious. Over 1500 students participated. Metro.us