"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) House Appropriations Subcommittee Sharpens Budget Knife: Subcommittee's Bill Would Cut Education Programs by $1.1 Billion; (2) Summer Waive(rs): Six Additional States and the District of Columbia Receive NCLB Waivers; To Date, Thirty-Two States and DC Have Received Waivers; (3) "Achievement Growth": New Report Labels U.S. Learning Gains "Middling" Compared to Rest of the World; and (4) "Education for Life and Work": National Research Council Report Says "Deeper Learning" Is "Essential" for Success in Twenty-First Century. (Contains 1 footnote.)