The U.S. Department of Education released today the 2012 notice inviting applications for new “Scale-up” and “Validation” grants available through the Investing in Innovation (i3) fund.

America’s colleges and universities often make a significant difference in the lives of their communities. This was apparent at the University of Northern Colorado where President Kay Norton, faculty and staff have taken bold steps to keep Greeley and the … Continue reading →

Indiana’s Education Roundtable will meet this Wednesday to discuss the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s new strategic plan.


WHO:
Governor Mitch Daniels
Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett
Department of Workforce Development Assistant Commissioner Gina DelSanto
Members of Indiana’s Education Roundtable

WHAT:
Indiana’s Education Roundtable Meeting

WHEN:
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 10 a.m.

WHERE:
Indiana Government Center South
Conference Room B
302 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Michael Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, in Madison, Wis., can hardly contain his enthusiasm about recent support his agency received from more than a dozen corporations and hundreds of local donors to help … Continue reading →

Anderson High School placed third in the National High School Rube Goldberg Competition held at Ferris State University last weekend. Contestants were asked to build machines that perform simple tasks in a complex manner.

“It’s time to celebrate our academic championships the same way we celebrate our basketball and football victories,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett said. “Anderson’s Rube Goldberg team should serve as an inspiration for Hoosier students across the state seeking to excel in their academic endeavors.”

The team’s latest recognition comes on the heels of a state championship title won at Purdue University in February. For both competitions, contestants had to design a machine able to inflate and pop a balloon in 20 or more steps.

The group faced several challenges along the way but exhibited true Hoosier spirit by seeing every obstacle as a new opportunity. On the way back from their state victory, a tire popped on the trailer carrying their machine—leaving several key pieces behind on the highway. However, donations from the community and extra hours logged after school allowed the students to rebuild the machine in time for the national competition.

“These kids deserve so much credit for their work ethic and determination,” Dr. Bennett said. “I also want to congratulate the teachers and administrators at Anderson High School who provided vital support and inspiration as the team embarked on this project.”

For more information on the Rube Goldberg competition go to http://www.rubegoldberg.com/. For more information on Anderson High School please visit http://www.acsc.net/.

“We must come together as a country to make sound, bipartisan investments in education,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said earlier today at a budget hearing on Capitol Hill.

Editors Note: Teachers@ED profiles some of the hundreds of current and former educators who work at the U.S. Department of Education, and how their experiences in schools inform their work for the agency.

Delia Davis-Dyke didn’t always want to be a middle school administrator. Her first aspiration was to be an attorney, but she was moved by the words of one of early bosses: “Major in what you love and the money will … Continue reading →

In 2010, the Department of Education piloted a FAFSA Completion Project to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and secondary school administrators in determining which of their students have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming …

According to a 2009 study, four in 10 children in Milwaukee are poor. Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest school district in Wisconsin with an enrollment of 80,000 students — 80 percent qualify for free or reduced-priced meals.

For students in rural areas who may need help paying for college, it’s important that you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) We understand the financial aid process can often be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never gone … Continue reading →

America cannot keep the promise a quality education to every child without ending the cycle of failure in our chronically low-performing schools.

Thank you, Reba, for that generous introduction--and thanks to Target for the commitment and leadership they’ve shown in working to strengthen our nation’s schools. I also want to give a shout-out to Bob Balfanz and John Bridgeland for their groundbreaking work over the years to identify and promote solutions to the high school dropout crisis.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined education leaders from twenty-three high-performing, rapidly-improving countries in New York City last week.

After watching Camille Jackson blossom in the Metro Academy program at City College of San Francisco, her mother was inspired to go back to school and continue her own education. This is just one instance of how this innovative program … Continue reading →

“America’s economic success is inextricably linked with the success of the Hispanic community,” Secretary Duncan said last week in San Antonio.

Education leaders from 23 high-performing and rapidly-improving countries and regions worldwide convened in New York City yesterday and today, at the second International Summit on the Teaching Profession, to share common challenges and best practices for training and supporting teachers and school leaders.

Thank you and welcome back to New York! We are delighted to co-host the second International Summit on the Teaching Profession with our outstanding partners and fellow participants.

The NCAA is making significant progress on raising the academic bar for student athletes, according to Secretary Duncan earlier today on a call with reporters. Continue reading →

The invitation to this year’s Labor-Management Collaboration Conference is now open. The conference, titled Collaborating to Transform the Teaching Profession, will take place May 23-24 in Cincinnati, and brings together management and labor teams from across the country.