What Ails the Governance of Public Education and What Can Be Done to Cure It?
Over the last 20 years, lagging achievement and disjointed governance of schools have led policymakers to explore alternative ways of organizing schools, like mayoral control, and to rethink district organization and the role of school boards and districts. The hope is to remove barriers to reform and to spur innovation and improvement. The debates around these issues are emblematic of the larger questions of education governance: is the system we have today well suited for 21st century educational needs? Or are there alternative approaches that would move us closer to building a high-quality school system for all children?‘A Grand Threat’ and ‘Watershed’
The Center for American Progress’s Reel Progress film series and the DC Environmental Film Festival are excited to present a special double-feature screening of the short film “A Grand Threat” and the documentary “Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West."The Economics of Legalizing the Undocumented: What a Path to Citizenship Means for the U.S. Economy
As Congress develops legislation to reform the U.S. immigration system, the debate regarding a path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants will undoubtedly receive substantial attention. While the politics of immigration reform may be a tempting topic for pundits and policymakers, the economic implications of legal status and citizenship should be stealing the headlines.
CAP’s forthcoming report “The Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status and Citizenship to Undocumented Immigrants” examines the economic impact of three possible scenarios regarding the treatment of undocumented immigrants. First, the impact of granting immediate citizenship; second, the impact of granting legal status and citizenship that follows in five years; and finally, postponing citizenship and granting only legal status for 10 years. The numbers tell the story of gains in GDP, added tax revenue, and job creation—all making a compelling case for swift and certain citizenship.
Please join us for a presentation by the report’s principal author, Robert Lynch, as he reviews the findings of the report and maps out how the different timeframes and immigration status translate into different economic outcomes. He will be joined by experts Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute and Adriana Kugler of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute who will discuss why legalization and citizenship will increase the earnings of all Americans.
U.S. Policy in the Middle East on the Eve of President Obama’s Trip
On March 20 President Barack Obama will arrive in Israel in the first part of a regional visit that includes the West Bank and Jordan. The president’s trip to the region comes at a time of change in Israel and the region. On his upcoming trip, President Obama will face a full slate of challenges and opportunities, including concerns over Egypt's continued political transition, Syria’s civil war, the unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict, and the threats posed by Iran.A New Era of Inclusion
Reforming America’s health system is a massive undertaking. The sheer scale of the effort means that the Affordable Care Act will touch the lives of every American—including millions of Americans who are frequently excluded from vital health insurance coverage and denied health care services. Gay and transgender people and people living with HIV or AIDS are two of the groups whose access to coverage and care has the potential to change dramatically under the health reform law.The High Price of Health Care
A recent Time cover story exposed a “uniquely American gold rush” for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device makers at the expense of patients and those who pay their bills. After spending more than half a year analyzing health care bills and interviewing patients, hospital executives, and billing advocates, journalist Steven Brill found that patients and other health care purchasers are charged exorbitant prices, with markups as high as 10,000 percent.Waivers, Accountability, and Teacher Evaluation
In February, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) reached a historic agreement with its teachers on a new evaluation system and joined eight other California school districts in filing for a district-level waiver seeking relief from certain provisions required by the No Child Left Behind Act. At this event, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy will share his vision on local governance and the federal government’s role in redesigning the current system of accountability. Experts from Capitol Hill and the American Federation of Teachers will offer their reactions.The LGBT Undocumented
Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion on the LGBT undocumented and the special obstacles they face, including their inability to sponsor their same-sex spouse or partner for residency, their frequent mistreatment while in immigration detention centers, their challenges while seeking asylum, and the solutions that lie ahead.Yemen’s Political Transition and Public Attitudes toward the National Dialogue
The agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for political transition in Yemen calls for a National Dialogue Conference to help the country’s leaders develop consensus for draft constitutional reforms and prepare for elections in 2014.During the past year, the transition has faced considerable challenges from wrangling among competing political factions to violent activity by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, tribal disputes, and a southern secessionist movement. Later this month, the country’s leaders will finally join together for the start of the National Dialogue Conference in an effort to end gridlock on the country’s stalled political reform process and address worsening economic conditions.POSTPONED: The Obama Administration’s International Economic Agenda
On Thursday, March 7, the Center for American Progress will host Deputy National Security Advisor Mike Froman for a discussion about the Obama administration's second term international economic agenda.CANCELLED: American Winter
"American Winter" is a timely documentary that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Filmed over the winter of 2011-12, the film presents an intimate snapshot of the state of the nation’s economy as it is playing out in the lives of many American families, and reveals the human consequences of cuts to social services, the decline of the middle class, and the fracturing of the American Dream.The End of Cash
Beginning in March 2013, nearly all federal payments, including Social Security, will be made electronically. Instead of paper checks, most recipients without bank accounts and direct deposit will receive their benefits on a government-issued prepaid card. This is part of a broader trend. Prepaid card use has already grown rapidly for payroll purposes, distributing state and local benefits, and as a transaction tool for people without bank accounts. Why are prepaid cards becoming so popular? What is the potential for these cards to build financial stability as an alternative to bank accounts? What are the pitfalls? Should prepaid cards and bank accounts have common regulations? Please join the Center for American Progress for a lively discussion of these issues with our distinguished panel.
Climate Change and the Arab Spring
The Center for Climate & Security and Center for American Progress are delighted to release a new volume on “Climate Change and the Arab Spring.” The volume outlines the complex pressures exerted by the effects of climate change on the convulsions which swept through the Middle East in 2010 and 2011, exploring the long-term trends in precipitation, agriculture, food prices, and migration which contributed to the social instability and violence which has transformed the region, and offering solutions for progress.The Next 4 Years: What Lies Ahead for Legal Services, Pro Bono, and the Access to Justice?
Legal services providers play a critical role in helping a diversity of anti-poverty programs to fulfill their missions. Throughout the country, attorneys assist families to secure housing, food, family stability, and education, to promote safety for victims of domestic violence, to access income supports (SSI and TANF), and to manage other basic life necessities. Unfortunately, legal services programs are facing serious and unique challenges related to funding and other concerns. Given the widespread implications for human needs, it is important to focus on what lies ahead for legal services, pro bono, and the access to justice.Our panelists will explore what attorneys are currently doing to help the poor and the future of free legal services for the needy. Will pro bono initiatives help close the justice gap? What is the likelihood of continued state and federal funding for legal services? How severe will the impact of potential budget cuts be? How will people who cannot afford a lawyer find their way through the legal system?
Now is the Time for a Financial Transaction Tax
Five years since the start of the Great Recession, policymakers around the world are still struggling to ensure that the undertaxed financial sector makes a fair and substantial contribution to the fiscal costs of the crisis, while promoting more stable and productive financial markets. One option with great promise is the financial transaction tax, or FTT—a miniscule tax applied to an ocean of trading in stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.This year, the European Union will implement the world's first regional financial transaction tax among 11 or more of its member countries. Leading this effort is European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union Algirdas Šemeta, who will address Europe’s progress with the financial transaction tax and join a conversation on the implications of Europe's FTT and prospects for similar, coordinated FTTs in the United States and England.
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