Education Secretary Spellings Announces Teaching Ambassador Fellowship

Secretary Spellings today announced the creation of Teaching Ambassador Fellowship (TAF) positions at the U.S. Department of Education, which will offer highly motivated, innovative public school teachers the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue on public education.

“This is a terrific opportunity for educators to share their voices directly with policymakers, and I look forward to hearing from them,” said Secretary Spellings.

The TAF includes two kinds of opportunities for teachers across the U.S. Up to 20 Classroom Fellows will be chosen who remain at their local schools under their regular teaching contracts, and will provide their experience and perspectives to the Department through various assignments and projects part-time. Up to five Washington Fellows will become full-time federal employees in Washington, D.C., working on education programs and participating in policy discussions. Teaching Ambassador Fellows will be named by early summer for the 2008-09 school year.

Teaching Ambassador Fellows will be selected based upon their record of leadership, impact on student achievement and potential for contribution to the field. Highly qualified K-12 public school teachers of all subjects who have spent at least three years in the classroom are eligible to apply. To ensure collaboration at the school and district levels, teacher applicants must have the full support of their school principals. Throughout the year fellows will collaborate on projects that contribute to the field of education and policy at the national level, and each fellow will be encouraged to work with his or her principal and with government liaisons throughout the year.