The proposal touches on every phase of teaching from training and tenure to compensation and career opportunities.

U.S. Department of Education Washington Teaching Ambassador Fellows Genevieve DeBose and Greg Mullenholz met with teachers from the Close Up Washington, D.C. program on this past Monday, at the U.S. Department of Education, to discuss strengthening and elevating the teaching profession to support student learning, as part of the Department’s RESPECT project — Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching.

RESPECT is a national conversation led by active classroom teachers working temporarily for the department to help inform and support the Obama Administration’s proposal and efforts to reform teaching. This roundtable will offer an opportunity for teachers to share their ideas, experience, feedback and insight on how to elevate the teaching profession.

Close Up Washington D.C., is a nonprofit organization that helps young people become active and engaged citizens. The Department Teaching Ambassador Fellows have been leading a discussion series with Close Up, focusing on education reform ideas for meeting 21st Century classroom challenges.

Additional discussion sessions with teachers participating in Close Up will be held through May at the Department's D.C. Headquarters.

Teachers participating in Close Up represent public, charter, and private high schools and middle schools around the nation. The organization coordinates student trips to D.C. to participate in weeklong citizenship education programs. The Close Up teacher program provides educators with innovative opportunities for academic and professional development that encourages a continued interest in citizenship education and the democratic process.

The Obama Administration’s 2013 proposed budget includes a new $5 billion competitive program to challenge states and districts to work with teachers, unions, colleges of education and other stakeholders to comprehensively reform the field of teaching.

The proposal touches on every phase of teaching from training and tenure to compensation and career opportunities.

Duncan’s remarks on the Project RESPECT are posted at http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/teachers-get-r-e-s-p-e-c-t and the RESPECT program proposal is available at http://www.ed.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/RESPECT_Program.pdf