Now that Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, has stepped into the chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, he will have broad authority over both policy and money for education issues in the Senate. That puts him in a powerful position as Congress prepares to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Education Week reports.

As the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees education spending, Sen. Harkin already has significant say on K-12 spending and policy. His dual chairmanship means that there will likely be less of a disconnection between education policy and financing, said Jack Jennings, the president of the Center on Education Policy, a research and advocacy organization in Washington. Read the full story.

Filed under: K-12 Education News