"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) ESEA [Elementary and Secondary Education Act], Right Away!: Voters Want Federal Action on High School Reform, According to New National Poll; (2) Striking a Balance: House Appropriations Subcommittee Falls Short of President Obama's Education Funding Goal; (3) "The State of State Standards--and the Common Core": Common Core State Standards Are Stronger than Current Standards in Three Quarters of States, New Report Finds; and (4) "Learning from Leadership": New Report Finds Effective School Leadership Is Strongly Connected to Student Achievement.