U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced that Maria Hernandez Ferrier has been promoted to the position of deputy under secretary of education. Hernandez Ferrier currently is director of the Office of English Language and is the principal adviser to Secretary Paige on all matters related to Hispanic issues and limited English language learners. She will continue in this post.

"The Department of Education has benefited greatly from having someone as passionate and dedicated to the education of all students as Hernandez Ferrier," said Paige. "I value her expertise in creating and promoting programs that help all students -- many from disadvantaged families -- reach their fullest potential. I thank her for the valuable contributions she has made to our students and our nation."

President Bush appointed Hernandez Ferrier to head the Office of English Language Acquisition in March 2002. Hernandez Ferrier oversees the distribution of record high funding for English language learners -- $665 million this year -- an almost 50 percent increase, and works to ensure that the nation's five million students who are learning English receive the same high-quality education as their peers. She has also started an education campaign to let parents know what their rights and benefits are under the No Child Left Behind education reform law.

A San Antonio native, Hernandez Ferrier found herself at age 30 a divorced mother of two, unable to drive a car or obtain a job that could sustain her family. While working at a minimum wage job, she was encouraged by her supervisor to attend college. She did so and ultimately received a doctoral degree in education administration. Knowing firsthand the barriers that immigrants can face, she then used her knowledge and skills to help children and their families seeking the American dream.

Hernandez Ferrier, the bilingual granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, has 17 years of experience in Texas public schools. Her accomplishments include creating many award-winning model programs for assisting underserved children and youth. Prior to her appointment to OELA, she served as the executive director of City Year, the program model for AmeriCorps, a federal national service organization. City Year brings young people from diverse backgrounds together to provide services for children in low-income elementary schools.

Hernandez Ferrier is the recipient of numerous awards including the United Way Volunteer of the Year Award and the Minority Leadership Award from the National Community Education Association. She earned a doctorate in education administration from Texas A&M University, a master of education degree and a bachelor's degree in speech from Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio.

Hernandez Ferrier has four children and three grandchildren. She and her husband, Al Ferrier, reside in Arlington, Va.

For more information about the Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition, visit: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/index.html.

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