A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

        FOR RELEASE                                       Contact: Rick Miller      August 13, 1996                                            (202) 401-3026

U.S. Department of Education Home to the "Best Boss in America"

Steven Winnick, deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, has been named the "Best Boss in America for Working Mothers" by Redbook Magazine.

Winnick was chosen in a competition that involved over 700 nominations. His nomination was submitted by two job sharing attorneys and mothers who work for him, Amy Comstock and Joan Bardee.

"I am doubly delighted that Steve has been awarded this honor," U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley said. "Steve, Amy and Joan all do outstanding work at the Department of Education. Furthermore, Steve stands as a shining example of the family friendly policies we try to practice and promote. Job sharing helps employees meet their responsibilities to their families and to their jobs".

The U.S. Department of Education has taken very seriously President Clinton's challenge to provide a family friendly workplace. In support of working parents, the department allows employees to have flexible schedules to spend more time at home with their children or go to school events, holds lunchtime seminars on parenting and working with schools, and stages an annual Parenting Fair. All employees are invited to volunteer at local schools and the department matches the leave time that they use to volunteer.

To encourage similar family friendly policies across America, Riley helped form the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. The partnership, which includes the Education Department, invites businesses to sign the Employers for Learning Promise to promote strong family school partnerships. More than 1200 business, religious, education, family, and community organizations have already joined the partnership.

-###-