Secretary Arne Duncan will join White House Director of Policy Cecilia Munoz, teachers and educators to discuss the importance of supporting high-quality teachers at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., on Friday, April 25.
The event will feature an hour-long town hall with educators and teacher preparation experts talking about training teachers to be classroom-ready. A brief media availability will follow the event.
Recruiting, training, placing and retaining great teachers has a direct impact on our nation’s ability to prepare our students to succeed. Research shows what parents already know: the most important factor in a student’s success in school is a strong teacher. And excellent teachers are especially important for our neediest students.
The U.S. Department of Education is deeply committed to supporting America’s educators. Recently, Secretary Duncan announced Teach to Lead, a new initiative to ensure that teachers have the opportunity to play a critical role in the decisions that impact their classrooms and their students without leaving the classroom. The Department also has requested $200 million in the FY 2015 budget for ConnectEDucators to support teachers’ efforts to learn how to make the best use of technology and digital learning materials in their classrooms. These efforts are in addition to the Department’s RESPECT proposal to elevate the education profession through improved preparation and early career support, teacher leadership and development opportunities, and improved work environments. And, through other programs like Teacher Incentive Fund, Investing in Innovation, and Race to the Top, states and districts across the country are finding innovative new ways to develop, support, and retain the educators they need for the future.