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The deadline for submitting applications for the 2008-2009 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship has passed.

We were pleased to receive over 1,100 applications—250 for Washington Fellowships and over 860 for Classroom Fellowships. We heard from teachers all across the United States, representing a wide range of content areas, grade levels, and geographic locations.

We are currently in the process of application evaluation and candidate selection. Those selected to interview for the Classroom Fellowship positions will be notified by the end of May. Selected Fellows will be announced by the end of June. The 2008-2009 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship will begin with a one-week summer convention from July 14-18.

Over the past six years, No Child Left Behind has increased accountability for student achievement in our nation's public schools—and no one knows this better than our nation's teachers. American public school teachers perform many vital roles in their classrooms and schools, but often lack the time and opportunities to serve as leaders beyond the local level. Teachers' daily experiences give them a distinctive, field-tested perspective on successful instructional and school improvement strategies that target the goals of No Child Left Behind. The U.S. Department of Education will use the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship to tap into this knowledge and experience, and to give outstanding teachers an opportunity to contribute to—and learn more about—the greater debate about education in America.

Mission: The Teaching Ambassador Fellowship empowers teacher leaders from our nation's public schools to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue about public education, and provides them an opportunity to learn more about education policy.

Vision: Teachers will collaborate with colleagues in schools as well as the education community at the district, state, and federal levels to explore the most effective strategies and policies for educational improvement.

Goals:

• Recognize and retain motivated and innovative public school teachers, and provide them the opportunity to expand their leadership roles outside of the classroom

• Improve education programs and policies by strengthening the connection to practical knowledge about classroom realities

• Highlight teacher voices within the education community and the country at large

• Encourage principals to work with teacher Fellows to foster continued collaboration at the school level

Select the link for the detailed Program Overview.