Topic: U.S. Department of Education

Facebook IPO: The end of an era

The failure of Facebook's public debut may signal the end of the pie-in-the-sky tech start up, as well as the possibility that the post-crisis recovery rally is screeching to a halt.

Orrin Hatch close call in Utah: Tea party rising?

Sen. Orrin Hatch is favored to win reelection, but first he faces a primary election against tea party favorite Dan Liljenquist. Can Hatch avoid the fate of former Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, ousted in 2010 by the tea party?

Student loans: Is petition to forgive debt completely a good idea?

Students and parents will think so. But blanket amnesty for all student loans could destroy the student-loan system and might not do much to address the underlying problem. 

Why Education Department may be safe for now, even though it's a GOP target

In remarks overheard by reporters Sunday night, Mitt Romney says he would keep the Education Department, although he'd reduce its budget.

Mitt Romney's big plans overheard, showing why he's Mr. Cautious

In public, Mitt Romney sticks to generalities. But in private remarks overheard by reporters, he floated details of what a Romney presidency might look like. Now he may be even more cautious.

Trayvon Martin: Are rallies a rebirth of civil rights movement? (+video)

A Trayvon Martin rally in Miami Sunday brought out basketball stars, civil rights leaders. The 911 call has Trayvon Martin crying for help, not George Zimmerman, according to analysis of 911 call.

Jury finds Virginia Tech liable in campus shooting

The parents of two slain students had sued the university, alleging that officials acted unreasonably by failing to warn students sooner.

Student loans: Rates to double. What's the cost?

Student loans backed by the federal government are set to become more expensive this summer, when their interest rate doubles from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. The rate hike would affect Stafford student loans, and thousands of students are protesting.

Minority students are punished more than whites, US reports. Is it racism?

Black students are more than three times more likely to be suspended from school than white kids, a Department of Education report finds. Secretary Arne Duncan calls it a violation of civil rights.

Ron Paul ad says Santorum is 'fake' conservative (+video)

A new Ron Paul ad says that Rick Santorum voted to double the size of the Department of Education. Why is Ron Paul hammering Santorum instead of Mitt Romney? credentials.

Is Rick Santorum the new Teflon candidate to whom nothing sticks?

Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are spending millions on ads to attack the surging Rick Santorum. But he's proving to be an elusive target, as social conservatives endorse many of his positions.

Ron Paul's tough new anti-Santorum ad: Will it work? (+video)

The ad labels Rick Santorum a fake fiscal conservative. The point of the ad shows the difficulties that both Ron Paul and Mitt Romney will have in driving up Mr. Santorum’s negatives.

No Child Left Behind loosens grasp as 10 states freed from requirements

No Child Left Behind has been a contentious law ever since it was passed in 2002. Now ten states have been released of some of the toughest legal requirements of the law.

No Child Left Behind loses bite as Obama issues waivers

Many educators applaud the waivers from some parts of No Child Left Behind, saying the education-reform law has a one-size-fits-all approach. Others worry that minorities could suffer. 

Lesson of L.A. teacher sex-crime case: Heed children who report abuse

Mark Berndt, who taught at a Los Angeles school for more than 30 years, is charged with 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children since 2005. Two former students say they reported him 20 years ago.

Utah school bomb plot: from inspiration to prevention, Columbine had a part

One suspect in the Utah high school bomb plot interviewed the Columbine principal in December. Police were tipped off by a friend of the suspect who received a suspicious message. 

Under education reform, school principals swamped by teacher evaluations

School principals, including some who back more rigorous review of teachers, are balking at education reforms required by Race to the Top. New teacher evaluations are all-consuming, they say.  

Biden, in a swing state, addresses student anxiety over college costs (+video)

Vice President Biden sought Friday to remind Pennsylvania high-schoolers of the value of higher eduction – and how the Obama administration is trying to control college costs. The state's Class of 2010 owes an average of $28,599 per graduate – the fifth highest debt level in the US. 

Rowdy politics aside, Americans are in a 'civics recession'

The presidential primaries give the impression of sharp citizenship skills among Americans. But civics learning lags. Obama education officials plan to reverse it.

Real battle in New Hampshire primary is for No. 2, and it's getting fierce

Mitt Romney has a 20-point lead heading into Tuesday's GOP in New Hampshire, polls show. But more than one-third of likely GOP voters there are undecided, intensifying the race for second.

How can it be? Student financial aid fuels increase in college tuition. (+Video)

When federal (and state) financial aid programs make money available to well-off students, it is in a college's interest to capture that aid and use it to 'improve' the college, thus driving up costs and tuition. Aid must be restructured so that more of it goes to needy students.

Eight ingredients for a peaceful society

What makes for a peaceful society? Hot spots from Congo to the Middle East would benefit from such knowledge. But so would the United States, which, at home, isn’t always so harmonious and abroad, is still at war in Afghanistan.

Michael Shank, vice president of the Institute for Economics and Peace’s US office gives his take on eight ingredients America needs to build a peaceful society.

Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues

Social policies are a defining issue in this, or any, Republican race. With the GOP electorate increasingly focused on social issues in recent decades, their leaders' views have shifted in kind. Take a look at where each of the candidates stand. 

Virginia Tech: Gunman in police killing wasn't student (Video)

The campus shooting prompted officials to lock down the Virginia Tech campus for hours Thursday while police and SWAT teams searched the school, the scene in 2007 of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

Virginia Tech shooting tests emergency plans developed after 2007 rampage

Viriginia Tech locked down its campus Thursday within minutes of the fatal shooting of a campus police officer. In 2007, the school was heavily criticized for its delayed response to the rampage that resulted in 33 deaths.