"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) Veto Override Fails in the House of Representatives: Moving Forward, Democrats Announce Compromise Plan to Slash Spending; (2) "Global Competitiveness Report": United States Receives High Marks for Business Economy, but Health and Primary Education Rank Thirty-Fourth; (3) NCLB Reauthorization Postponed Until Next Year: Tight Legislative Calendar Combined with Policy Differences Contribute to Delay; and (4) A Focus on Urban Schools: Latest NAEP Results Show Large Percentages of Urban Eighth Graders Reading Far Below Grade Level.