The U.S. Department of Education supported a record number of educators last year through its successful Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, a comprehensive program that offers professional development, research-based classroom strategies and other support for teachers.

Tens of thousands of educators have participated in the Department's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, which includes summer workshops and roundtables, e-Learning courses, "Ask the Secretary" sessions with U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, e-mail updates, the new Teacher Training Corps and the American Stars of Teaching project.

"Teachers are responding enthusiastically, and the Department is working hard to meet educators' demands for high-quality training and assistance," said Secretary Spellings. "The new Teacher Training Corps is now out in the field working with educators and school districts from California to New Jersey. We are offering targeted workshops in math, science, reading and a range of other subjects," she said.

Seventy teachers and district officials, selected from more than 1,600 applicants, comprise the Teacher Training Corps. These individuals are practitioners who have developed presentations based on sound research and who can demonstrate results in raising student achievement. The goal of the corps is to increase teachers' subject knowledge and improve instruction skills. Teams are already working with districts and states to support professional development efforts for teachers.

District-wide workshops are planned in Santa Clara, Calif., in science instruction; Coleman, Mich., in math; Clark County, Nev., in literacy; Hamilton, N.J., in differentiated instruction; and Kansas City, Mo., in math, science and reading. Statewide workshops are planned in Arkansas and Idaho in coming months as well.

In addition, the Department is seeking nominations of outstanding teachers deserving recognition as an American Star of Teaching for raising academic achievement. "Teachers are doing great things in classrooms every day," Spellings said. "The American Stars project is a way to recognize good teachers, highlight what works and share those strategies throughout the education community."

Teachers across all grade levels and disciplines will be honored this fall as the 2006 American Stars of Teaching. One teacher will be recognized in every state and the District of Columbia. Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators or others can nominate a teacher who they believe has the qualities to be an American Star of Teaching.

U.S. Department of Education officials will again be visiting the schools of American Star teachers to congratulate them on their success. Last year, the Department received more than 2,000 nominations. Nomination forms for American Stars of Teaching and information on the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative are available at www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative. The deadline for nominations is April 15.

Since 2001, President Bush and Congress have provided an unprecedented $22 billion in federal funding to support the teaching profession. Congress recently appropriated $99 million for President Bush's Teacher Incentive Fund to reward K-12 educators who make outstanding progress in raising student achievement or narrowing the achievement gap.

###

Top

Back to January 2006