U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow Angela McClary-Rush will host a RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching) roundtable with 15 African American teachers and educators from the middle Tennessee area who have been assembled by the Urban League of Middle Tennessee. The roundtable will take on Friday, July 13, at 10 a.m. at the Urban League of Middle Tennessee in Nashville. The discussion will offer an opportunity for these teachers to provide the Department with feedback on the RESPECT initiative.
The RESPECT initiative is a national conversation led by active classroom teachers working temporarily for the Department to help provide input on the Administration's 2013 budget proposal, and on the broader effort to reform teaching. The initiative's goal is to work with educators in rebuilding their profession—and to elevate the teacher voice in shaping federal, state and local education policy. The larger goal is to make teaching not only America's most important profession—but America's most respected profession. For years, teachers have not received the recognition or respect they deserve. In addition, teacher salaries—compared with other important professions—are far too low to attract and retain top college students into the field and barely sufficient for existing teachers.
To date, the Department's Teaching Ambassador Fellows have held over 250 roundtables with more than 3,500 teachers nationwide to provide insight and input on how to strengthen the teaching profession. The President's 2013 budget includes a $5 billion request for RESPECT.