Spotlight

Iowa and Indiana are two Midwestern states that are taking radically different approaches to education, with one increasing funding for public education and the other taking it away.

Districts are bracing themselves for the impact of the major education cuts set to occur with the March 1 sequestration as they plan their budget and staffing choices for the fall, said Education Secretary Arne Duncan in a statement. If congressional lawmakers are unable to compromise on another plan to trim the national budget, Department of Education funding will be scaled back 9 percent just this year alone, according to the national Center on Budget & Policy Priorities.

Expanding early education programs and redesigning high schools to prepare students for a high-tech economy were among the educational goals proposed by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night. The following are initial reactions from education associations to his address.