FOR RELEASE: July 10, 2008 |
Contact: Samara Yudof or Elissa Leonard (202) 401-1576 |
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U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced 25 teachers have been selected for Teaching Ambassador Fellowships (TAF) with the U.S. Department of Education for 2008-2009. Five Washington Fellows will become full-time U.S. Department of Education employees in Washington, D.C., for one year, and 20 Classroom Fellows will remain in their classrooms and participate in the program through part-time projects. Throughout the year, Fellows will engage in education policy discussions, work with department officials in various program offices and participate in a variety of education projects.
More than one thousand teachers across the U.S. applied for the Fellowships, which offer highly motivated, innovative public school teachers the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue on public education.
"I look forward to welcoming the Fellows to Washington next week and know we will benefit from their knowledge and experience in the classroom. While the Department offers multiple avenues for teachers to participate in policy discussions, this is truly a unique opportunity," said Secretary Spellings. "This program was inspired and designed by a White House Fellow and former teacher -- someone whom I wish I had met and hatched this idea with years ago. I believe this program will be successful, and I hope it becomes part of the fabric at the U.S. Department of Education for years to come."
Following are the five Washington Fellows:
Following are the 20 Classroom Fellows:
After an evaluation and interview process, Teaching Ambassador Fellows were selected based upon their record of leadership, impact on student achievement and potential for contribution to the field. The 25 Fellows represent 22 states across the country. Eight of the Fellows are high school teachers, 10 are middle school teachers and seven are elementary school teachers. The Fellows represent teaching expertise in a range of subject areas - three are general elementary school teachers, six have math expertise, five specialize in reading and language arts, five are science teachers, three teach social studies, one provides art instruction, one brings knowledge of critical language instruction and one is a physical education teacher. Many of the Fellows have experience teaching special education students, as well as non-native English speakers.
The program for the 2008-2009 Fellows kicks off in Washington, D.C., on July 14 with a one week orientation and policy conference. The events planned include a roundtable discussion with Secretary Spellings, briefings with senior Department officials on timely policy matters and opportunities to share best practices and local educational challenges.
For more information about the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/programoverview.html.
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