April 23, 2012: U.S. Education Department Reaches Agreement with Memphis City Schools on Aids, Services for Students with Disabilities: The U.S. Department of Education announced today that its Office for Civil Rights has reached a resolution agreement with the Memphis, Tenn., City Schools on aids and services to students with disabilities.
April 23, 2012: Obama Administration Names 78 Schools in 29 States and D.C. as First-Ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was joined today by White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to announce the first-ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, a list including 78 schools that span 29 states and D.C.
April 20, 2012: DELAWARE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION DR. LILLIAN M. LOWERY NAMED NEXT MARYLAND STATE SUPERINTENDENT STATE BOARD SELECTS DR. LOWERY AFTER NATIONAL SEARCH; TERM BEGINS JULY 1: The Maryland State Board of Education today announced that Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, Secretary of Education for the Delaware Department of Education, has been selected the State’s next State Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Lowery will take the helm of the nation’s number one-ranked State school system on July 1. She will succeed Interim State Superintendent Bernard J. Sadusky.“I am very excited to join an outstanding educational system, and look forward to working with Maryland educators across the state,” said Dr. Lowery. “The success of the State of Maryland’s public education transformation agenda, just as the national agenda, is an economic must and the means to future success for our youngest citizens. For our nation’s children to be prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy, creating and attaining jobs that will sustain them and their families, the system of education must ensure that student performance expectations for Marylanders are comparable to performance expectations of children across the nation and the world.”
State Board President James H. DeGraffenreidt, Jr. said Dr. Lowery comes to Maryland well prepared to lead the State’s system to continued improvement. “Dr. Lowery comes to Maryland with impressive credentials, skill sets and notable accomplishments to lead our state’s educational system as we continue our efforts to provide our students with a world class education that prepares them for lifelong success,” DeGraffenreidt said. “The Board looksforward with great excitement to working with Dr. Lowery in building upon the well documented successes that Maryland has already achieved, and leading our State to even greater educational achievements in the coming years.”
Dr. Lowery has worked in various educational institutions and programs since 1976. Dr. Lowery has been Secretary of Education in the State of Delaware since 2009, where she distinguished herself by facilitating a broad-based statewide strategic planning and grant application process which resulted in Delaware being selected as the “First State” to be awarded the federal Race to the Top grant. She has led the efforts to establish Teacher and Leaders Effectiveness Units as well as Turnaround Units within the State Department, which have assisted in the implementation of the grant and the improvement of instructional opportunities for students. Additionally, she has helped to differentiate the support for local school districts in an effort to assist them in their improvement efforts, as well as hold them accountable for student success.
Prior to serving as the Secretary of Education, Dr. Lowery was the Superintendent in Christina School District in New Castle County, Delaware for three years. She has served as an Assistant Superintendent in Fairfax County, Virginia and an Area Administrator in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Other administrative experiences have included serving as both an assistant principal and principal at the high school level, and as the Minority Student Achievement Monitor. In addition, she taught English at the middle and high school levels in Virginia.
Dr. Lowery holds a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Polytechnic and State University, as well as a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education from North Carolina Central University. She is also a nationally known speaker and recognized as a leader among chief state school officials.
Board President DeGraffenreidt said the Maryland State Board of Education would like to thank the citizens of Maryland for enthusiastically participating and providing invaluable insights throughout the selection process. Community members shared with the Board their perspectives, opinions, concerns and ideas through various meetings, focus groups and surveys. The Board found this input invaluable in evaluating each candidate and reaching a final decision, he noted.
Dr. Sadusky has served as Interim State Superintendent since July 1, 2011. He replaced Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, who retired in 2011 after 20 years as State Superintendent of Schools.
April 20, 2012: 2012 Promise Neighborhoods Competition Opens, $60 Million Available to Continue Reform and Award New Planning and Implementation Grants: The U.S. Department of Education released today the 2012 application for the Promise Neighborhoods program, which will provide $60 million to continue support for existing implementation grantees and award a new round of planning and implementation grants.
April 19, 2012: U.S. Department of Education Releases Blueprint to Transform Career and Technical Education: Ankeny, Iowa – Today U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will visit the Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa, to release the Obama Administration’s blueprint for transforming Career and Technical Education (CTE), by reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
April 18, 2012: Obama Administration Opens Together for Tomorrow School Improvement Challenge: Together for Tomorrow (TFT), the joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to spur community engagement in turning around our nation’s lowest performing schools, today launched its School Improvement Challenge for the 2012-13 school year on http://TFT.challenge.gov.
April 18, 2012: Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Pat Summitt Stepping Down as Tennessee Coach: "I am saddened to see that Pat Summitt is stepping down as the basketball coach at the University of Tennessee because she has set the gold standard for coaches everywhere. Her accomplishments as a basketball coach at the University of Tennessee may never be matched. She has won more games than any college basketball coach in history and coached the U.S. women's basketball to a gold medal.
April 18, 2012: USDA and Education Host White House Rural Council Meeting, Sign Interagency Agreement to Promote Career Pathways and Postsecondary Education: The U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture have teamed up to enhance agricultural education and related programs that promote postsecondary and career pathways, including teaching, according to an interagency agreement to advance agricultural education. U.S. Education and Agriculture Secretaries Arne Duncan and Tom Vilsack announced the agreement today during a White House Rural Council meeting with local educators at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
April 13, 2012: Departments of Justice and Education Reach Agreement with the University of California, San Diego to Resolve Harassment Allegations: WASHINGTON – The Departments of Justice and Education reached a settlement agreement with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), to resolve an investigation into complaints of racial harassment against African-American students on campus. Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 each prohibit harassment based on race.
April 11, 2012: Education Department Releases Action Plan To Improve Measures of Postsecondary Success: To provide more complete information on student persistence and completion, the Education Department released an action plan today that takes steps to augment its current measures of student success in postsecondary education.
April 10, 2012: Philanthropic Leaders Pledge $1 Million as Initial Investment in Public Private Partnerships for AAPI Community: WASHINGTON – With newly released figures from the U.S. Census Bureau indicating that the Asian American population experienced a 43 percent increase and that of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders experienced a 30 percent increase from 2000 to 2010, on April 2, 2012, the nation’s top foundations pledged an initial $1 million and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders convened its first National Philanthropic Briefing to draw attention to this fastest growing racial group in the country.
April 9, 2012: The 2012 Race to the Top Fund Continues Investments in Statewide Systems of High Quality Early Education Programs: The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that $133 million from the 2012 Race to the Top fund will be available for continued investments in state-level, comprehensive early education reform.
April 5, 2012: U.S. Department of Education Awards Joplin Schools Nearly $50,000 to Support Local Recovery Efforts: The U.S. Department of Education awarded Joplin Schools a $49,780 Project SERV grant to help provide local students and education staff with academic and mental health services following the Category 5 tornado that struck the Joplin community on May 22, 2011.
April 3, 2012: Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today issued the following statement on the shootings Monday at Oikos University in Oakland, Calif.. “I was saddened to learn of the senseless violence and loss of life at Oikos University in Oakland. My thoughts are with the community and families of the victims.”