Federal File: Research Blues; New Job; Kudos

The Education Department's researchers are less-than-happy campers, a survey of employees in the department's office of research has found.

Only a third of the respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the agency as a working environment, the survey found. Moreover, on 67 specific items, a majority of those polled rated the conditions negatively.

The staffers also expressed negative opinions about the office's research agenda; more than half said it lacks "a long- range research agenda which effectively addresses national education needs and is current with...