Teaching Profession

Duncan, Ed. Dept. Go Back to School for Teacher Appreciation Week

By Francesca Duffy — May 09, 2012 1 min read
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U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made a surprise visit to Luke C. Moore High School in Washington on Wednesday morning to join teachers and school support staff for a Teacher Appreciation Week breakfast.

According to the Ed. Dept. press release, Luke C. Moore High School, a local School Improvement Grant recipient that serves students who have either dropped out or had difficulties in traditional settings, has made recent strides as part of a school turnaround effort. Attendance has gone up and suspensions down since the school began interventions that have included conducting 300 home visits and implementing a project-based learning curriculum.

“I was honored to join [Moore’s] Principal Speight in thanking Luke C. Moore staff for their commitment to education,” said Duncan. “The entire staff demonstrate a shared responsibility for helping children feel supported and have made significant accomplishments that improve students’ chances of being successful in school and beyond. Their hard work is inspiring.”

This week, dozens of staff members from the department are also “shadowing” teachers in schools across 11 states and D.C. as part of the Department of Education’s “Ed Goes Back to School” initiative. Teacher Ambassador Fellow Genevieve Debose, featured in this recent Q&A, spearheaded the program. Duncan will lead a discussion on Wednesday evening to allow teachers and department staff to share their experiences during the shadowing period.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.