Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Media Advisories--Department of Education

Media Advisories--Department of Education

Event Date: 5:30 to 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Contact: Jo Ann Webb or Elaine Quesinberry, 202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov

ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY TO DISCUSS IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION AT HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION PUBLIC FORUM

Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, will participate in a Harvard Graduate School of Education public forum, "What Matters and What Counts? Expanding What We Value in Schools," on Wednesday, May 12, at the graduate school in Cambridge. The forum aims to stimulate discussion about ways to expand what schools value and accomplish, as well as explore how researchers, policymakers and educators can promote rigorous, high-quality, assessable and accountable work in areas other than literacy and math.
Event Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Contact: Jim Bradshaw 202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov

U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL LAB DAY, ADDRESS NEW SCHOOLS SUMMIT ON WEDNESDAY

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will take part in a pair of events Wednesday in Washington. Wednesday morning, Secretary Duncan will highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses in recognition of National Lab Day. Later in the morning, Secretary Duncan will join U.S. Rep. George Miller in a question and answer session on the Obama administration's education reform agenda.
At 9 a.m., Secretary Duncan will recognize National Lab Day by visiting Martin Luther King Elementary School, 3200 Sixth St., S.E. There, he will observe the student's solar car project and talk with them about the long-term value of STEM education to our nation's economy. National Lab Day is a nationwide initiative to build local communities of support and to foster ongoing collaborations among volunteers, students and educators.
At 11 a.m., Secretary Duncan will join Rep. Miller in a question and answer discussion on the administration's education reform efforts at the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit. Secretary Duncan will lay out the administration's education agenda for the coming years, and talk about the role entrepreneurs can play in advancing education reform. The annual summit invites leaders from across the education, business, policy and nonprofit sectors who are passionate about transforming public education for underserved children.
Event Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010
Contact: Jim Bradshaw 202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov

U.S. EDUCATION OFFICIAL TO ADDRESS CINCINNATI CONFERENCE ON TEACHER COMPENSATION

Brad Jupp, senior program advisor for teacher quality initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education, will address a Cincinnati conference Thursday bringing together educators to explore trends in teacher compensation.
Jupp's remarks, scheduled for 10:45 a.m. at the College of Mount St. Joseph, are part of a daylong forum on teacher wages sponsored by Leadership Cincinnati, a program of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce. Teachers, principals, union representatives, school board members and administrators are expected to attend.
The issue of teacher compensation comes as local districts across America consider the most effective ways to reward teachers and promote excellence in education.

Event Date: 10 a.m. EDT Thursday, May 13, 2010
Contact: Jo Ann Webb (202) 401-1576

ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION ON DRINKING AND DRUG USE AMONG STUDENTS

Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS), will participate in the Department's policy briefing "The Power of Peers and Perceptions," which focuses on drinking and drug use by students. The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, May 13, in the Departmental Auditorium, will feature students discussing how they motivate their peers to make healthier choices around alcohol and other drugs. In addition, grantees of the OSDFS Models of Exemplary, Effective and Promising Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention on College Campuses program, who work with high-school students and college students on campuses, will share their novel programs for reducing risky behavior among students. Officials from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., and the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, N.C., will join Jennings.
Event Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010
Contact: David Thomas 202-401-1576
press@ed.gov

DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TO BE PANELIST IN WORKSHOP AT SUMMIT SERIES DC10

Assistant Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton to discuss today's youth and the future of education

Jim Shelton, assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Innovation and Improvement, will participate in Summit Series DC10's Innovation in Education panel on Teaching Today's Youth on Thursday, May 13. He will join several panelists, including recording artist John Legend, entrepreneur Marc Ecko, Teach for America CEO Wendy Kopp, and WordWorld Founder Don Moody, in discussing the future of education. During the panel discussion, Assistant Deputy Secretary Shelton will focus on the role of innovation in improving educational opportunities.
Summit Series DC10 is an invitation only conference taking place Thursday, May 13-Sunday, May 16 in Washington D.C. The Summit connects top young innovators, influencers, and business leaders to inspire a new generation of leaders to succeed in business and in life.