Please note: The 2009-2010 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Program is subject to funds available and may be cancelled at any time.

The 2009-2010 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Program is tentatively scheduled to run from July 2009-August 2010 and will begin with an orientation in July. For the 2008-2009 school year, five (5) Washington Fellows were selected to come to Washington, DC to serve as full-time employees of the Department of Education. Twenty (20) Classroom Fellows were selected to remain in their schools and serve as part-time advisors to the Department. Please explore all of the links on the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship web site (http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship) to learn more about the current class of Fellows and their activities.

The 2009-2010 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Program is scheduled to run from July 20, 2009 - June 30, 2010. Pending funding, the Department will select up to five new Washington Fellows and up to twenty new Classroom Fellows by June 2009.

Washington Fellows serve as paid full-time federal employees in Washington, DC for one school year, placed in appropriate positions within the Department of Education to work on education program and policy development and implementation.

• They focus on using their previous classroom experience to contribute knowledge and insight to the Department.
• They collaborate with other Fellows on program activities.
• They increase their knowledge and understanding of federal education policies and programs.

Classroom Fellows serve their regular teaching contracts with their districts, and are paid to perform additional Fellowship duties for the Department of Education for one school year. As practicing classroom teachers, these Fellows share an important perspective for-and gain more knowledge about-education policy and program development.

• They participate in Fellowship activities outside of their regular teaching contract hours, such as providing feedback on Department work.
• They share their experiences with other Fellows and with the Department of Education at designated times throughout the year on specific initiatives.

Administrator and District Support

All applicants must secure support from their administrators to participate in the Fellowship program. This support will be verified by telephone for candidates selected as finalists for the positions. Applicants should share this information with their administrators before completing the application process and notify him/her that a telephone reference will be necessary for all finalists.

In addition, all selected Fellows will enter into an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement between your district and the Department of Education. For Washington Fellows, the district must guarantee a position of like seniority, pay, etc. on the termination of this assignment, and work to retain benefits with the school during the period of employment with the U.S. Department of Education. The IPA mobility program provides for the temporary assignment of skilled personnel to or from state and local governments and certain other organizations to facilitate cooperation between the Federal government and the non-Federal entity and provide mutual benefits, for limited periods without loss of employee rights and benefits. Further information about the IPA program is available on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website at http://www.opm.gov/programs/ipa/assignF.asp and http://www.opm.gov/programs/ipa/Mobility.asp.

You should share this information with your administrator and ask for guidance as to whom to contact at the district level. You should ensure that your administrator and your district are willing to support this agreement before you submit your application. If you are selected as a finalist and we are unable to verify the support of your administrator and the willingness of your district to sign the IPA agreement, you will be withdrawn from consideration.

Fellowship Year

The Fellowship is tentatively scheduled to begin July 20, 2008 with an orientation in Washington, DC. Fellows are employed with the program from that time through June of 2010. Candidates selected as finalists for the positions will be informed of the specific dates for the orientation session at that time.

Forming a Teacher Leadership Community

After completion of the program, participants are encouraged to continue classroom teaching. They are also encouraged to continue in leadership roles in their home states, and to connect with other teacher leaders in their regions as a leadership community.