More Resources Schedule and Registration for Workshops

This summer the U.S. Department of Education will convene 14 Teacher-to-Teacher regional workshops for teachers to learn from fellow educators who have had success in raising student achievement, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced today.

A number of workshops will focus on enhancing teaching skills in math, science and critical foreign languages, subjects central to President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative. The American Competitiveness Initiative is designed to strengthen education as a gateway to opportunity and the key to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.

"Teachers have given us a lot of positive feedback from the workshops we held over the past two summers," Spellings said, "This summer we're more than doubling the number of workshops so that many more teachers will have the opportunity to learn new practices that work in the classroom - practices that will help us close the achievement gap and get every child to grade level in reading and math by 2014."

The 14 workshops will be held across the country from June through August. Four will cover the whole range of subjects taught in elementary and secondary schools; three are cosponsored by the National Park Service and will be dedicated to math, science and history; four are cosponsored by TechNet Partners and are geared solely to math and science; two will focus on the teaching of foreign languages, and one will focus only on the teaching of reading and English as a Second Language.

"Educating our children is a shared responsibility, and we are delighted to have the support of the National Park Service and four TechNet Partners-Microsoft, Cisco, National Semiconductor and EMC-in sponsoring this year's summer workshops," Spellings said. "With their help, the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative will reach teachers of more than a million students this coming year."

The workshops are part of the Department's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, designed to support teachers, keep them informed of the latest strategies, and disseminate research that helps their students meet high standards.

In addition to the workshops, the initiative sponsors the Teacher Training Corps, teacher and principal roundtables, the American Stars of Teaching recognition project, regular e-mail updates, and a free online e-Learning Initiative, which offers 32 courses of professional development in a range of subjects.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia now accept Teacher-to-Teacher activities, such as e-Learning or workshop participation, as professional development credit. More information about the initiative is posted at: www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative.

Below are the workshop dates, locations and themes.

GENERAL SUMMER WORKSHOPS

Teachers of Grades 6-12 June 5-6 Denver, Colo.
Teachers of Grades K-8 June 12-13 Atlanta, Ga.
Teachers of Grades K-8 June 20-21 St. Paul, Minn.
Teachers of Grades 6-12 July 17-18 Pittsburgh, Pa.

JOINT WORKSHOPS WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Math and History, Grades K-8, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park
June 22-23, Dayton, Ohio

Science and History, Grades K-12, Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration
July 20-21, Billings, Mont.

Science, Grades 6-12, Edison National Historic Site
Aug. 7-8, West Orange, N.J.

JOINT WORKSHOPS WITH TECHNET PARTNERS

Science, Grades K-12, National Semiconductor, July 10-11, San Jose, Calif.
Math and Science K-12, EMC, July 12-13, Boston, Mass.
Math and Science 8-12, Cisco, Aug. 1-2, Raleigh, N.C.
Math and Science K-12, Microsoft, Aug. 8-9, Redmond, Wash.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS K-12 WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON MANDARIN CHINESE

July 31-Aug. 1, Los Angeles, Calif.
Aug. 3-4 Washington, D.C.

WORKSHOP FOR READING AND ESL TEACHERS K-12

Aug. 10-11 Dearborn, Mich.

Registration and professional development sessions are free-of-charge. Meals and refreshments will be provided during scheduled workshop activities, but participants will be responsible for their own transportation and lodging expenses. Teachers may be eligible for professional development credits through their districts or states for these workshops.

For more information and registration, please visit: www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Registration.asp. Registrations are being processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited.

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