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The article presents information from an event hosted by the Forum for Education and Democracy in Washington, D.C. At the event educational stakeholders urged U.S. lawmakers to create federal policies and educational approaches to support effective U.S. public schools. New York University education professor Diane Ravitch said that the U.S. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has been a failure.

The article discusses a meeting that was held between U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and educational advocacy organizations and think tanks. Comments that Duncan made during the meeting regarding the way in which the U.S. government should be held accountable for education in the U.S. are presented. Concerns that were expressed at the meeting regarding actions that have been taken by the U.S. Education Dept. are mentioned.

Information about the need for U.S. students with competitive math and technical skills at a discussion sponsored by the Florida Education Department is presented. Topics include staff turnovers at high-technology companies, fewer students graduating high school with the skills to meet high-technology industry needs, and adjusting educational curricula standards. Several consultants and executives at high-technology companies were featured including Ron Abbott, Jim Clamons, and Kaye Forgione.

Information is presented about the successes and failures of charter schools at the NewSchools Venture Fund conference in Washington, D.C. Topics discussed include whether or not their movement's educational innovations are aligned with the U.S. educational reform policies, student gains, and several charter groups' operations and practices. The conference featured several executives including Larry Berger, Jonathan Schnur, and Eva Moskowitz.