On this inaugural edition of Dropout Nation‘s Opening Bell, RiShawn Biddle takes a look at the lack of impact of the threatened federal shutdown on American public education, opines on what U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan should say in his speech on Tuesday, talks about how the Affordable Care Act will fuel systemic reform, and discusses an upcoming debate on the importance of Common Core reading and math standards.

Watch the Opening Bell on the site, download, or watch on RiShawn Biddle’s video page. You can also subscribe to this series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Zune Marketplace, Stitcher, and PodBean. Also download to your phone with other mobile software.