National Journal Expands Online Offerings To Include New Education Expert Blog

Washington, D.C. (June 29, 2009) – With the Obama administration making education a key priority and a reauthorization of No Child Left Behind on the horizon in Congress, National Journal announced today the launch of its latest blog – the Education Expert Blog.

The blog, now online at http://education.nationaljournal.com, joins five other Expert Blogs that have become a popular feature of NationalJournal.com. All feature key policy-makers and thought leaders weighing in on the top policy issues of the day.

Moderating the blog will be National Journal staff correspondent Lisa Caruso and staff writer Eliza Krigman. Caruso, who already handles identical duties for the highly successful Transportation Expert Blog, covers education, transportation and immigration for National Journal, which she joined in 2003 after working for its sister publication, CongressDaily.

“My goal for National Journal’s Education Expert Blog is to provide a dynamic online forum for experts of widely differing politics and points of view to engage in a serious debate of the most pressing issues in education policy,” Caruso said. “I hope that readers and experts alike are challenged in their thinking and exposed to new ideas that perhaps will even influence the way education policy is made.”

Like the other Expert Blogs, the Education Expert Blog will feature one question a week, usually submitted by the moderator. Throughout the week, education decision-makers and thought leaders will weigh in with their own opinions and respond to one another, which can lead to compelling debates over key policy questions.

The opening question for the Education Expert Blog will focus on the use of stimulus funds for education expenses: “Given the bleak budgetary outlook for many states, should stimulus funds be primarily devoted to staving off education cuts or should the administration focus on leveraging the money to drive its reform agenda?”

At its launch, the blog will boast a roster of more than 50 education experts drawn from government, think tanks, advocacy groups and academia. Contributors include Education Secretary Arne Duncan along with two of his predecessors, Margaret Spellings and Rod Paige. Congressional insights will come from Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo, a former Denver Public Schools superintendent, and Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the ranking member of the House Education and Labor Committee. Other organizations with a voice on the blog include the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the United Negro College Fund, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and GreatSchools.

The blog joins an Expert Blog lineup that also includes Economy, National Security, Transportation, Health Care and Energy & Environment.

National Journal Group is the leading source of nonpartisan reporting on the current political environment and emerging policy trends. Our print, online and broadcast properties include National Journal, CongressDaily, The Hotline, NationalJournal.com, The Capital Source, The Almanac of American Politics, and “Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal.”