"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) Duncan Outlines Obama's Education Budget Before House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees; (2) National High School Graduation Rate Falls Below 70 Percent: "Diplomas Count 2009" Finds Rate Fell Nearly 1.5 Percentage Points; and (3) "On the Front Lines of Schools": National Survey of Teachers and Principals Finds Tepid Support for Holding All Students to High Standards. (Contains 2 footnotes.)