"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) Two Roads Diverged in a Hearing Room: Congressional Hearing on the Federal Education Budget Previews Two Possible Paths for Spending Decisions; (2) House and Senate Committees Report Budget Plans: Blueprints Call for Spending More Overall than the President's Budget and Increases for Education Programs; (3) "What Keeps Good Teachers in the Classroom?": New Alliance Issue Brief Examines Which Teachers Leave and Why; and (4) State of the State Address: Crist Seeks Additional Funding for Merit Pay for Teachers. (Contains 1 footnote.)