ED.gov Blog

Gratitude for Arts and Science Educators

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:00:00 +0200

This month, as we’re thinking about gratitude, I’m reflecting on the tremendous impact that educators have had on my life. I would not be where I am today without the many teachers, counselors, librarians, and mentors that have lifted me up, and, now as an educator and mentor myself, I hope to pass that encouragement

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Virginia Elementary School Invokes Code to Fight Bullying

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 22:20:07 +0200

“Red, Green, Black, and Blue. My Tribe is my Crew. We are O-C-C-O-Q-U-A-N! My school is the perfect 10…at The ‘O’!” These are words from one of the cheers we recite when we welcome new students to our school. At Occoquan Elementary School in Woodbridge, Virginia, we have a House System that fosters our sense

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Dominican University: Serving Latine Students in the Midwest

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Verónica Gutiérrez, MBA’22, Dominican University, River Forest IL and Marcela Reales Visbal, Activity Director for Title V, Part B – Promoting Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans, Dominican University, River Forest IL “I had never heard of the term HSI until I came to Dominican University”, said Verónica Gutiérrez, a first-generation Latina who grew up

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Colleges Have a Responsibility to Protect Students’ Best Financial Interests

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 17:00:00 +0200

Students look to their college as a trusted source of information as they determine how to pay for tuition, housing, books, and other basic needs. In today’s environment, students are facing additional financial challenges coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising interest rates, and inflation. Each year, millions of students look to their

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Resources for Communities Following Natural Disasters

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 17:31:14 +0200

Recent natural disasters have significantly impacted communities and their education institutions. Since 2017, there have been over 300 presidentially declared major disasters across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Outlying Areas. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) closely follows the impacts of natural disasters on students, educators, staff, families, and others. Schools are a

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Student Loan Debt Relief Do’s and Don’ts

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 16:30:00 +0200

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS INVOLVING STUDENT LOAN DEBT RELIEF YOU ARE YOUR BEST PROTECTION AGAINST SCAMMERS DON’T pay anyone who contacts you with promises of debt relief or loan forgiveness. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY ANYONE TO OBTAIN DEBT RELIEF. The application will be free and easy to use when it opens in October. DON’T

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On the Heels of the Road to Success Bus Tour, ED and FCC Highlight the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in North Carolina

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 21:21:00 +0200

By: Lauren Mendoza, Deputy Assistant Secretary for State and Local Outreach, Office of Communication and Outreach Recently, representatives of the Department of Education (ED) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) visited Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina for conversations on partnerships between schools and community-based organizations to implement the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). ACP, which was

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Shining a Light on Inspiring School Employees for a Third Year

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Frances W. Hopkins We are now in Year 3 of the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award, by which the U.S. Department of Education (ED) honors classified school employees. Candidates include individuals who work in schools as: paraprofessionals and in clerical and administrative services, transportation services, food and nutrition services, custodial and maintenance services,

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Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 20:00:00 +0200

By: Heather Ward, Special Assistant, Office of Postsecondary Education If you need suicide or mental health-related crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s chat to connect with a trained crisis counselor. As U.S. Department of Education officials have traveled the country visiting

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Hispanic Heritage Month: "La Historia De Mi Gente”

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Amanda Zepeda My first teachers were my parents. Both grew up in immigrant households in the vibrant city of Los Angeles. They were Chicano latch-key-kids of the 1970s. My father began working at a young age, supplementing the family’s income with a paper route before school and gardening work with my grandfather on the

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How to Become a National Blue Ribbon School

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200

Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that “great schools don’t happen by chance. Great schools happen by design.” It takes hard work & dedication at all levels of a school community – from students, teachers, staff, administrators, & families – to make a school truly shine. Today, we honor 297 schools for their exemplary teaching

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Deputy Secretary on the Road to Success Bus Tour

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 22:54:07 +0200

“I know you’re all going to have a wonderful day of learning.” Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten said as she finished the morning announcements at Idlewild Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, helping ED kick off the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour. The schedule for Monday was packed; four stops in one day!

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A Population of Heartbreak

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Cori Walls, International Baccalaureate film & Digital Video Production teacher for Palm Beach County School District in Delray Beach, FL Why is it that so many films have a backstory of a child losing a parent? Or that many superheroes are vindicating the death of their parents? This is where art is the reality for

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Teachers as Advocates and Leaders of the Profession

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Lauren Jewett, NBCT (Special Education Teacher/New Orleans, LA) My mother grew up as one of nine children. Her youngest sibling, my aunt Cheryl, was born with Down Syndrome. At the time of Cheryl’s birth in 1962, the doctors told my grandparents that Cheryl would only live until the age of three, and as such,

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The Power of Dual Enrollment: The Equitable Expansion of College Access and Success

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Luke Rhine, Deputy Assistant Secretary the Office of Career, Technical & Adult Education Dual enrollment works. The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to the use and expansion of high-quality dual enrollment programs to improve student access to rigorous coursework and equitable postsecondary opportunities. Recently, the Department of Education hosted a webinar featuring a panel of

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What College Accreditation Changes Mean for Students

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 18:13:59 +0200

For millions of students like you, federal student loans and grants open the doors to a college education. That critical federal aid must be used at a school that is (among other things) given the seal of approval by an “accrediting agency” or “accreditor” recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It’s one of the

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Teacher Leadership as a Military Spouse: All Roads Lead to Learning

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Rebecca Standridge, Program Specialist for ESE Curriculum and veteran Special Education Teacher in Marion County, Florida As a child, I dreamed of growing up and becoming a teacher; practicing reading aloud with my baby dolls and stuffed animals and was always the first to volunteer to help the teacher grade papers. I am now

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BACK TO SCHOOL 2022: Giving Every School the Tools They Need to Prevent COVID-19 Spread and Stay Safely Open All Year Long

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 16:55:30 +0200

“Back-to-school season is a time of possibility and promise for students, parents and families, and educators alike. To all the school leaders working to ensure your campuses can remain safely open for in-person learning throughout this new academic year, all of us in the Biden-Harris administration appreciate your dedication in making in-person learning happen. To

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The Importance of Academic Advising in Higher Education

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Kaitlin Thach, Intern, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Communication and Outreach “The main function of an academic advisor is to bring holistic support to students as they navigate their higher education to post grad journey.” Universities and higher education institutions nationwide provide academic advising for both undergraduate and graduate students. This principal academic

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The Benefits and Challenges of Summer Internships

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0200

By: Kaitlin Thach, ED Summer Intern For many students in higher education, internships are an entryway into the workforce, offering them an opportunity to work in their field of choice and gain first-hand insight into a potential career field without long-term commitment. While time in higher education is an important period for students to grow,

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