Earlier today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Grammy award-winning artist Shakira took to Twitter to answer your questions about the early childhood education.

Shakira, who is a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and a strong advocate for high-quality early education, joined Duncan in highlighting $1 billion in new public and private commitments that were announced as part of today’s White House Summit on Early Education.

At the Summit, President Obama reiterated his call to expand access to high-quality early childhood education to every kid in America, and announced the launch of the Invest In Us initiatitive. The new initiative challenges public and private partners, business leaders, philanthropists, advocates, elected officials, and individuals to build a better nation by expanding high-quality early childhood education.

Take a look at the full #ShakiraEdChat Q&A below, or over on Storify, and check out Shakira's new PSA videos on InvestInUs.org.

Just 30 mins until Shak's answering questions on early education with @arneduncan. Ask your question using #ShakiraEdChat. ShakHQ

For every dollar we invest in early childhood education, we see a rate of return of $7 or more through a reduced need for spending on other services, such as remedial education, grade repetition, and special education, as well as increased productivity and earnings for these kids as adults. 

Early education is one of the best investments our country can make. Participation in high-quality early learning programs—like Head Start, public and private pre-K, and childcare—provide children from all backgrounds with a strong start and a solid foundation for success in school.

Tomorrow, President Obama will host a White House Summit on Early Education, announcing new commitments and building on his call to expand access to high-quality early childhood education to every child in America.

As part of the Summit, Grammy award-winning artist Shakira and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be taking to Twitter on Wednesday, December 10, at 10:00 a.m. ET to answer your questions about early education. Shakira is a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and has been a strong advocate for high-quality early education.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #ShakiraEdChat.
• Follow the Q&A live through the @Shakira and @ArneDuncan Twitter handles on Wednesday, December 10, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
• If you miss the live Q&A, the entire chat will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/whitehouse.

Learn more about the President’s plan to expand access to high-quality early childhood education, and then join Shakira and Secretary Arne Duncan for a Twitter chat on Wednesday, December 10, at 10:00 a.m. ET.

En 30 minutos Shak contestará a sus preguntas sobre educación temprana con @arneduncan. Utilicen #ShakiraEdChat. ShakHQ

— Shakira (@shakira) December 10, 2014

Join @Shakira & me in 15 minutes to discuss the importance of early education. #ShakiraEdChat #InvestInUs http://t.co/bRB81RvJv8

— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) December 10, 2014

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the White House College Opportunity Day of Action summit at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., Dec. 4, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

The key to success in today’s economy is higher education, which is why expanding opportunity for more students to enroll and succeed in college, especially low-income and underrepresented students, is vital to building a strong middle class.

Earlier today, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama joined college presidents and education leaders from around the country to announce 600 new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.

President Obama talked about how our higher education system is one of the things that makes America exceptional:

There’s no place else that has the assets we do when it comes to higher education. People from all over the world aspire to come here and study here. And that is a good thing.

America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free. We sent a generation to college. We cultivated the most educated workforce in the world. Along with our innovation mentality, our risk-taking, our entrepreneurial spirit, it was that foundation that we laid -- broad-based, mass education -- that drove our economy and separated us from the rest of the world.

But the President explained that other countries have since improved the quality of their education, seeking to out-compete the U.S:

I don’t want businesses to have to look anywhere other than the United States of America. I want to make sure we lead the world in education once again, not just because it’s right to help more young people chase their dreams, but because it’s critical to our economic future.

Watch his remarks here:

Watch on YouTube

The actions taken today by college presidents, education leaders, non-profits, and other organizations follow on the heels of the White House's first College Opportunity Summit in January, and will reach hundreds of thousands of students in the coming years and focus on one of four areas:

• Building networks of colleges focused on promoting completion
• Creating K-16 partnerships around college readiness
• Investing in high school counselors as part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative
• Increasing the number of graduates in STEM fields

During the First Lady’s remarks, she noted how too many kids go through high school with too little guidance on how to get into college, as well as the alarming fact that our national average is only one counselor for every 471 students:

They don’t know what classes to take, or how to prepare for the SAT or the ACT.  No one helps them decide which colleges to apply to. No one reviews their applications.  And plenty of kids have no idea that they’re eligible for financial aid, so they assume they just can’t afford college, and they don’t even bother to apply. 

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during the White House College Opportunity Day of Action summit at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. December 4, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

The First Lady pointed out that the commitments announced today are a big step in the right direction that students get the resources they need:

Universities across the country have pledged to create college and career-readiness courses in their masters programs for school counselors. School districts are partnering with nonprofits and colleges to provide training for counselors once they’re in our schools. Nonprofits are stepping up to improve student-and-counselor ratios and bringing recent graduates into schools to serve as role models and mentors.

And these are just the highlights. Altogether, these commitments represent tens of millions of dollars that will impact hundreds of schools and countless students. These are outstanding commitments, and we need more efforts like these all across this country. Every one of us has a role to play.

The Vice President wrapped up the Summit by thanking all those teachers and educators who help students navigate the "veritable labyrinth" that is the college process:

That's where a significant number of young, qualified, bright students find themselves today. Most don't even know what they don't know. That's where you all come in. That's why I’m here to thank you because making the commitment for them. ...

I’m Vice President of the United States, he is President of the United States. We would not have made it. I don’t care how bright you are -- and I have not met anybody brighter than the President -- without somebody helping them find the way. But for financial assistance, none of us would be standing here today, among the four of us. So, again, thank you for the commitments you’re making today.

"Your commitment to use data and technology to improve college graduation rates, to better identify, provide help for students who are otherwise likely to find access for financing for them," the Vice President said. "You’re also making it easier for community colleges -- students to transition to four-year schools without losing a step."

During President Obama’s remarks, he concluded by reminding us that improving college opportunity is a collective effort with rich rewards for the country:

If all of us work together -- teachers, parents, nonprofits, corporations, school districts, university system -- if we make sure they remain the best-educated generation in American history, there is no limit to what they can achieve, there’s no limit to what this country can achieve.

Learn More:

• Read the President’s full remarks
• Read the First Lady’s full remarks
• Learn more about the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative
• Learn more about the College Opportunity Day of Action and read about all the commitments

President Barack Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama and Bard College student Troy Simon, delivers remarks during the College Opportunity Summit in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Jan. 16, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

At the beginning of his administration, President Obama set a goal that the U.S. would once again lead the world in college graduates. The President believes that expanding opportunity for more students to enroll and succeed in college is vital to building a strong economy and a strong middle class.

The President has already taken important steps to increase college access, including:

• Increasing Pell scholarships by $1,000 a year
• Creating the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $10,000 over four years of college
• Limiting student loan payments to 10 percent of income
• Laying out an ambitious agenda to reduce college costs and promote innovation and competition

In January, 140 college presidents and other leaders made commitments to support student success at the first White House College Opportunity Summit. To build upon the success of that summit, on Thursday, December 4, President Obama and the First Lady will join college presidents and other leaders making new commitments to improve degree completion, sustain community collaborations that encourage college-going, train high school counselors as part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative, and produce more STEM graduates with diverse backgrounds.

Here’s how you can participate in the College Opportunity Summit on Thursday, December 4th:

• Watch the entire summit live here, or at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/live.
  • 9:00 a.m. ET: Opening remarks by Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Department of Education
  • 9:15 a.m. ET: Panel discussions moderated by Cecilia Muñoz and Secretary Julian Castro, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • 11:50 a.m. ET: Remarks by the President Barack Obama
  • 2:45 p.m. ET: Remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama
  • 3:00 p.m. ET: Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden
• Add your voice to the conversation and follow along on social media with the hashtag #CollegeOpportunity.

AM Live Stream: Remarks by Cecilia Muñoz, Secretary Julian Castro, and President Barack Obama:

PM Live Stream: Remarks by the First Lady and Vice President Biden:

Learn More:

• The President and First Lady’s Call to Action on College Opportunity
• View the list of Commitments to Action on College Opportunity (pdf)
• View the Progress Report on January Commitments (pdf)

Watch on YouTube

Earlier today, speaking to more than 100 school superintendents in the East Room of the White House, President Obama launched a new effort to assist school leaders in their transition to digital learning with the Future Ready Digital Pledge.

The Future Ready Digital Pledge is part of the President’s ConnectED initiative, which empowers teachers with the best technology and the training to make the most of it, and empowers students through individualized learning and rich, digital content. ConnectED also seeks to connect 99 percent of America’s students with high-speed broadband internet in their schools and libraries.

During his remarks, the President highlighted the significant gains our country has made in improving education during the last six years:

“Dropout rates are down. The graduation rate is the highest on record. More young people are earning college degrees than ever before.”

But he also noted that in a 21st century economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge -- and the capacity to learn new knowledge -- we still have work to do:

Right now, fewer than 40 percent of public schools have high-speed Internet in their classrooms -- less than half. That's not good, since we invented the Internet. That's not good. It means that in most American schools, teachers cannot use the cutting-edge software and programs that are available today. They literally don’t have the bandwidth.

And even in schools where there is high-speed Internet, so often there aren’t enough computers to go around, so only a small percentage of our classrooms have the one-to-one ratio of students to computers or tablets. And that means that, in too many schools, if a teacher wants to use the Internet for a lesson, then kids have to crowd around one desk to follow along, or they have to break up into groups and sequentially come in. 

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the "ConnectED to the Future" conference with superintendents and other educators from across the country who are leading their schools and districts in the transition to digital learning, in the East Room of the White House, Nov. 19, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

More than 1,200 school superintendents have already signed the pledge, and have agreed to:

• Foster a culture of learning through technology across their schools
• Assist their students and families in the transition to high-speed connectivity
• Provide their learners greater access to high-quality digital devices and content
• Provide teachers and principals the support needed to use technology in innovative ways

Together, they will reach approximately 10 million students across more than 16,000 schools across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

“In a country where we expect free Wi-Fi with our coffee, the least we can do is expect that our schools are properly wired.”

Today’s “ConnectED to the Future” convening also featured new commitments from private and non-profit partners and from the U.S. Department of Education to support educators as they transition to digital learning. Learn more about today’s commitments here.

The President called the Future Ready Digital Pledge “a vision for digital learning in classrooms across America,” but cautioned that the pledge can’t stop with the superintendents:

Every kid needs every superintendent in America to sign this pledge -- and then follow through on the pledge.  Our kids need every school district to make these commitments. Every child -- whether they live in a big city, quiet suburb, the furthest reaches of rural America, poor districts, rich districts -- every child deserves a shot at a world-class education. 

That’s the promise we make as a nation great. That's what makes our nation great -- this fundamental belief that no matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, you can make it in this country if you work hard. You have access to the tools to achieve. If we keep working at this, that's a promise we can make real for this generation and generations to come.

Read the Future Ready Digital Pledge here, and find out more about the ConnectED initiative here.

Earlier this year, we launched WhiteHouse.gov/tools -- a new section of our site highlighting tools from across government that can make your life easier. Today, we’re updating our collection to highlight tools that can help you make smart personal finance decisions and protect your hard-earned income.

Whether you’re trying to find a college that’s the right fit for you or your child, or if you’re just trying to figure out how much money you’ll need to save for retirement, there are resources from across the government that can help you out. Check out just a few of the tools that can help you understand your personal finances:

• Savings planner from the Department of the Treasury
• Student loan repayment estimator from the Department of Education
• Find a housing counselor from the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Check out all the new highlighted tools at WhiteHouse.gov/tools. See something you think we should spotlight? Tell us here.

Yesterday, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and White House Senior Advisor for Nutrition Policy Sam Kass joined DC Public Schools’ student Maurice Morris, and thousands of classrooms via livestream from around the country for a special inside look into the White House kitchen.

The live cooking demonstration and discussion about healthy living is part of our ongoing “Of the People: Live from the White House” series with Discovery Education, giving middle and high school students unique access to the White House and Obama administration officials.

During yesterday’s event, students from across the country got a chance to walk through how to make Sunrise Tuscan Chicken, a healthy recipe from one of the winners of this year’s Kids’ State Dinner. While Sam and Maurice worked their way through the recipe, Maurice asked about Let’s Move!, how students can eat healthy using fresh ingredients, and what types of fruits and vegetables grow in the White House Kitchen Garden.

Learn more about the White House Kitchen Garden:

Watch on YouTube

The White House kitchen is where meals are prepared for the First Family and guests -- including everything from family breakfasts to state dinners. White House chefs have a range of responsibilities that include tending to fresh produce harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden and constructing the holiday White House gingerbread house. The kitchen has the capacity to cook dinner for 140 guests and appetizers for up to 1,000.

Watch the entire “Of the People” event from the White House kitchen, and check out past events, including a Constitution Day celebration at the National Archives with Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, a look at a digital classroom with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and a behind-the-scenes look at the art and history of the White House with curator William Allman.

Last year, we launched “Of the People: Live from the White House,” a virtual field trip series with Discovery Education to give middle and high school students unique access to the White House and Obama administration officials.

On October 29, the “Of the People” series continues with a live cooking demonstration and a discussion about nutrition with Sam Kass, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and White House Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy.

Register now to watch the event live on Wednesday, October 29 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Students will learn the many benefits of making healthy choices a habit in their lives, and will watch Sam and a student cook up a healthy snack in the White House Kitchen.

You can tune in October 29 at 12:30 p.m. ET -- and watch upcoming installments in this series -- on Discovery Education’s website.

Past “Of the People” events include a Constitution Day celebration at the National Archives with Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, a look at a digital classroom with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and a special “Exchange for a Day” with First Lady Michelle Obama during her trip to China. 

Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Joplin High School dedication ceremony in Joplin, Missouri, October 3, 2014. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

The tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011 lasted 32 minutes and caused damage for 13 miles. At its widest point, the path of the tornado stretched a full mile. The EF5 Tornado — the most destructive on the Enhanced Fujita Scale — left a city nearly destroyed. More than 15,000 vehicles were carried away, nearly 7,000 homes were completely destroyed, and 161 people lost their lives.

The destruction of Joplin High School took place just minutes after a graduation ceremony for seniors. The ceremony was held off campus, at Missouri Southern State University. When the tornado hit, around 150 people were still in the arena, and Dr. Kerry Sachetta, the high school principal, led those individuals into the basement. But others were already on the road or back in their homes. The tornado claimed the lives of seven students (including one of the graduates) and one high school staff member.

Despite the destruction, Joplin’s citizens showed a tremendous resolve to rebuild, and through the efforts of volunteers, neighboring cities and states, the government, and most importantly, the people of Joplin themselves, the community has made a dramatic recovery.

Last week, Vice President Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, returned to Joplin to celebrate the reopening of Joplin High School.

“I’m here for the same reason I’ve been to so many places where Americans have been truly, fundamentally devastated,” Vice President Biden said during a speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “I’m here because you are the heart and soul of America. You are the example of who we are as a people.” 

"We never bend. We never break. We never stop. And we always rebuild."

The new Joplin High School/Franklin Technology Center isn’t just a new building, but a new vision of education for the community’s students. The opening also marked the launch of the Career Path curriculum. Students attending JHS/FTC can choose one of five Career Paths, which are developed and implemented by school, community, and business representatives, centered on core foundational knowledge and skills, plus the soft skills employers demand from their employees.

The Vice President noted that the community and school have come back stronger than before “with a commitment and a passion to envision a new Joplin.” People are now moving into Joplin, instead of out of Joplin, and the Vice President explained why:

What they saw is the character of this community. Anyone in America would want to be part of a community that has hung together like his one, that had the grit that this one has shown.

"Homecoming is about faith,” the Vice President said. “It’s about hope. It’s about charity. It’s about simply caring. That's what homecoming is about, and that's what I see here today.”

The day will come when students walking through these doors will have no personal memory of May 22, 2011. But they will always know the values of the community that raised them, the ball fields they played on, and the legacy of recovery. And for the rest of them, and for the rest of their lives, they’ll be able to say: We are Joplin. We are Joplin strong!

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers the special keynote address at the United Nations' Global Education First Initiative's high-level event at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, N.Y., Sept. 24, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Every young woman on our planet should have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. That was the message delivered earlier today by First Lady Michelle Obama at the U.N. Global Education First Initiative in New York City. The initiative brings together heads of state and government, leading international advocates, and U.N. principals to focus on the importance of a quality education as a way to build a more equitable, prosperous, and sustainable world.

The First Lady noted that we’ve made significant progress in achieving the goal of educating all young women, particularly in primary education. As of 2012, every developing region in the world has achieved, or was close to achieving, gender parity in primary education.

But despite this accomplishment, the First Lady said that we shouldn’t be satisfied:

Because while the benefits of primary education are real and meaningful, we know that if we truly want to transform girls’ lives, if we truly want to give them the tools to shape their own destinies, then primary education often just isn’t enough.

We know that if we want girls to marry later, raise healthier children, earn good wages, then we need to send them to school through adolescence.  But we also know that adolescence marks the critical moment when a girl starts to develop from a child into a woman; when she is first subjected to the norms and prejudices that her society holds around gender.  And that is precisely when the issue of quality education truly starts to get hard. 

The First Lady made clear that it’s not enough to talk about building schools and buying supplies, that it has to be more than just providing resources, that it needs to be about attitudes and beliefs.

It’s about whether fathers and mothers think their daughters are as worthy of an education as their sons. 

"It’s about whether communities value young women for their minds, or only for the reproductive and labor capacities of their bodies."

It’s also about whether all of us are willing to confront the complex, sensitive issues that keep so many adolescent girls out of school – issues like early and forced marriage and genital cutting; issues like domestic violence and human trafficking.

The First Lady noted that we can’t hope to make meaningful progress unless we’re willing to have a larger conversation about how women are viewed and treated throughout the world:

All of us -– men and women here in this room and around the world –- we must do some serious self-reflection.  We must look inside ourselves and ask, do we truly value women as equals, or do we see them as merely second-class citizens?  We must look around at our societies and ask, are we clinging to laws and traditions that serve only to oppress and exclude, or are we working to become more equal, more free? 

The First Lady said that she is eager to continue this important work “until every young woman on our planet has the opportunity to learn and grow and thrive.”

Read the First Lady’s full remarks at the U.N. Global Education First Initiative.

College Signing Day is special event to honor students who have committed to continue their education beyond high school. In May, the First Lady joined more than 2,000 San Antonio high school seniors for the community-wide event:

The fact is, a generation ago our country had the highest percentage of college graduates in the world. But today, we have dropped all the way to 12th. And that’s unacceptable. That’s not who we are. And all of you have a role to play to help get us get back on top, because the education you get today won’t just help you compete; it’s going to help our entire country compete in a global economy. 

Learn more about the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative and check out her latest post on Upworthy or below:

This Joyful Video Will Make You Smile. See What Happens When Students Have The Support They Need.

Last year we launched “Of the People: Live from the White House,” a virtual field trip series with Discovery Education to give middle and high school students unique access to the White House and Obama Administration officials.

On September 17, the “Of the People” series continues with a Constitution Day celebration at the National Archives with Archivist of the United States David Ferriero to learn about the document and the Archives.

Register now to watch the event live on Wednesday, September 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Students will take a virtual tour of the National Archives, learn about their document collection, and how historians are actively using primary source documents in their research. Students will also learn about the Constitution through a document analysis strategy that reinforces the skills needed to read, write, and think like a scholar.

You can tune-in September 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET -- and watch upcoming installments in this series -- on Discovery Education’s website.

Past “Of the People” events include a behind-the-scenes look at the art and history of the White House with curator William Allman, a look at a digital classroom with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and a special “Exchange for a Day” with First Lady Michelle Obama during her trip to China. 

Students at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta listen to First Lady Michelle Obama speak on preparing for higher education. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education by Joshua Hoover.

First Lady Michelle Obama was at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Ga., yesterday, to help kick off the Department of Education’s annual back-to-school bus tour, and to encourage students to take charge of their futures and complete an education beyond high school as part of her Reach Higher initiative.

Booker T. Washington High School opened its doors in 1924 and was the first public high school for African-Americans in Georgia. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is among the school’s graduates. The First Lady began her visit by joining Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for a quick stop at a college fair, and to listen to students talk about their experience in searching out schools and getting help from their counselors.

First Lady Michelle Obama hugs a student during a college fair at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education by Joshua Hoover.

“Everything you are doing in school right now is critical to the rest of your life,” the First Lady told the students during the “Prep” rally that followed the college fair.

Completing high school is not the end but the beginning of your life’s journey. It’s just the beginning. In today’s world, in order to compete in an ever-globalizing economy, you’ve got to continue your education after you graduate from high school. And fortunately, there are many paths that you can take –- whether that’s a professional training program, a four-year school like Georgia State or Emory or Clark Atlanta, or a community college like Atlanta Metro State College.

But no matter where you go, the important thing is that you go somewhere. Because no matter who you are or where you come from, higher education is absolutely the best way you can take charge of your future. And there’s a lot you need to be doing right now to prepare yourself for those next steps.

The Reach Higher initiative’s goal is to inspire students to take charge of their own future and complete some type of higher education after high school. The First Lady is working to rally the country around the President's "North Star" goal — that by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

During the rally, the First Lady talked about her own experience as a student.

I still remember how one of my high school counselors told me that I shouldn’t apply to Princeton. They told me I would never make it there, that I was setting my sights too high -- can you believe that? She told me, don’t bother.

But let me tell you something -- that stuck with me. It made me a little uncertain, it did. It threw me off a little bit. But let me tell you, it made me mad, too. But I didn’t let those emotions get the best of me. Instead, I focused on getting good grades. I focused on signing up for activities, lining up my recommendations from teachers and mentors. And in the end, I ended up showing that counselor just how wrong she was.

She acknowledged that the students at Booker T. Washington face many challenges and that it will take grit and determination to overcome those obstacles and reach their goals.

"So if there is anybody telling you that you’re not college material -- anyone -- I want you to brush them off.  Prove them wrong."

I want you all to ask for help. Ask your teachers, your counselors, your coaches, your friends –- I don’t care who it is.

But here’s the thing about asking for help -- you can’t do it just one time. You’ve got to keep asking again and again and again until you get what you need. You keep asking. Do you understand me? You don’t take no for an answer. You keep going back in. That’s how you rally back from adversity. 

Read the First Lady’s full remarks and learn more about the Department of Education’s Back-to-School Bus Tour.

White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford joins Maker Camp campers for a virtual field trip of the White House Kitchen Garden.

Earlier today, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford took Maker Camp campers on a virtual field trip of the White House Kitchen Garden, and answered questions about what it’s like to cook for the First Family and for special guests of the White House.

Campers from across the country chimed in and asked how Chef Comerford balances what fruits and vegetables are in season with the needs of the First Family, how the White House chefs prepare for large events such as state dinners, and finally about her path to becoming a “maker” at the White House. Comerford said that each morning she looks in the White House Garden to see what is ready to harvest and that she changes the menu based on what she can incorporate into upcoming meals. She also said that canning, jarring and pickling gives her flexibility to use fruits and vegetables in future meals.

Learn about the history of the White House Kitchen Garden:

Watch on YouTube

The White House Kitchen Garden was inspired by the First Lady's passion for healthy living and healthy eating. The garden not only serves as a resource for fresh food, but is also a teaching tool on sustainable growing and healthy eating for students and teachers who come to tour the garden during the growing season. Today’s Maker Camp field trip taught campers what it takes to make the White House Kitchen Garden grow, as well as how they can create their own garden at home, at school, or in their community.

Maker Camp is a free online summer camp for building, tinkering, and exploring online and in local neighborhoods. With Maker Camp, teen inventors and artists around the world can make awesome projects, participate in epic virtual field trips, and meet the world’s coolest makers.

In June, President Obama hosted the first-ever White House Maker Faire to celebrate America's students and entrepreneurs who are inventing the future with new technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, easy-to-use design software, and desktop machine tools. The event brought together more than 100 students, entrepreneurs, engineers, and researchers from 25 states ­all of whom love to "Make" stuff.

Watch today’s field trip to the White House Kitchen Garden:

Watch on YouTube

Learn more:

Watch President Obama¹s remarks at the first-ever White House Maker Faire
Watch a video about the White House Beehive

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty! White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford is inviting you to join a virtual Maker Camp Field Trip to the White House Kitchen Garden on Wednesday, August 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Google and Make have come together to put on Maker Camp, a free online summer camp for building, tinkering and exploring available online and in local neighborhoods. With Maker Camp, teen inventors and artists around the world can make awesome projects, participate in epic virtual field trips and meet the world’s coolest makers. Tomorrow, Chef Comerford will give participants a look inside the First Lady's Kitchen Garden, share tips for cooking and gardening at home, and more.

Here’s how you can join:

• Watch the virtual field trip live right here or on Maker Camp's Google+ page on Wednesday, August 13 at 2 p.m. ET
• Got a question about the White House garden? Ask it during the event right here.

In June, President Obama hosted the first-ever White House Maker Faire to celebrate America's students and entrepreneurs who are inventing the future with new technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, easy-to-use design software, and desktop machine tools. The event brought together more than 100 students, entrepreneurs, engineers, and researchers from 25 states ­all of whom love to "Make" stuff.

We hope you can "Make" it to Wednesday's event and join the conversation live from the White House Kitchen Garden. 

Learn more:

Watch President Obama¹s remarks at the first-ever White House Maker Faire
Go behind the scenes in the White House Kitchen Garden
Watch a video about the White House Beehive

President Barack Obama signs H.R. 3230, the Veterans' Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, at Fort Belvoir, Va., Aug. 7, 2014. The bill provides the Department of Veterans Affairs the resources to improve access and quality of care for veterans. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Earlier today, President Obama traveled to Fort Belvoir, Virginia to sign a reform bill giving the Department of Veterans Affairs the necessary resources to improve access and quality of care for the men and women who have served our country in uniform.

In remarks before the bill signing, President Obama addressed the misconduct that has taken place at some VA facilities across the country — veterans being denied the care they need, or long wait times being covered up.

"This is wrong," the President emphasized. "It was outrageous. And working together, we set out to fix it and do right by our veterans across the board, no matter how long it took."

We’ve already taken the first steps to change the way the VA does business. We’ve held people accountable for misconduct. Some have already been relieved of their duties, and investigations are ongoing. We’ve reached out to more than 215,000 veterans so far to make sure that we’re getting them off wait lists and into clinics both inside and outside the VA system. 

We’re moving ahead with urgent reforms, including stronger management and leadership and oversight. And we’re instituting a critical culture of accountability -- rebuilding our leadership team, starting at the top with Secretary McDonald. And one of his first acts is that he’s directed all VA health care facilities to hold town halls to hear directly from the veterans that they serve to make sure that we’re hearing honest assessments about what’s going on. 

The VA reform bill -- officially the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 -- passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, and will expand survivor benefits and educational opportunities and improve care for victims of sexual assault and veterans struggling with traumatic brain injuries. But the main focus of the new law is to ensure that veterans have access to the care they’ve earned.

“You’ve risked your lives on multiple tours to defend our nation. And as a country, we have a sacred obligation to serve you as well as you’ve served us – an obligation that doesn’t end with your tour of duty.”

The President outlined three important areas the law will address:

1. Giving the VA the resources it needs:

It will help the VA hire more doctors and more nurses and staff more clinics. As a new generation of veterans returns home from war and transitions into civilian life, we have to make sure the VA system can keep pace with that new demand. Keep in mind that I have increased funding for the VA since I came into office by extraordinary amounts. But we also have extraordinary numbers of veterans coming home. And so the demand, even though we’ve increased the VA budget, is still higher than the resources that we’ve got. This bill helps to address that.

2. Ensuring timely care:

For veterans who can’t get timely care through the VA, this bill will help them get the care they need someplace else. And this is particularly important for veterans who are in more remote areas, in rural areas. If you live more than 40 miles from a VA facility, or if VA doctors can’t see you within a reasonable amount of time, you’ll have the chance to see a doctor outside the VA system. 

3. Holding people accountable:

We’re giving the VA Secretary more authority to hold people accountable. We’ve got to give [Secretary McDonald] the authority so that he can move quickly to remove senior executives who fail to meet the standards of conduct and competence that the American people demand. If you engage in an unethical practice, if you cover up a serious problem, you should be fired. Period. It shouldn’t be that difficult. And if you blow the whistle on an unethical practice, or bring a problem to the attention of higher-ups, you should be thanked. You should be protected for doing the right thing. You shouldn’t be ignored, and you certainly shouldn’t be punished. 

Watch the President's full remarks below: 

Watch on YouTube

The President noted, however, that while this law is focused on immediate needs to reform the VA, we can’t lose sight of the long-term goals of our service members and our veterans:

The good news is, we’ve cut the disability claims backlog by more than half. But let’s now eliminate the backlog. Let’s get rid of it. The good news is, we’ve poured major resources into improving mental health care. But now, let’s make sure our veterans actually get the care they need when they need it. The good news is, we’ve helped to get thousands of homeless veterans off the street, made an unprecedented effort to end veterans’ homelessness. We should have zero tolerance for that. But we’ve got to -- still more work to do in cities and towns across America to get more veterans into the homes they deserve.

We’ve helped more than a million veterans and their spouses and children go to college through the post-9/11 GI bill. But now, we’ve got to help even more of them earn their educations, and make sure that they’re getting a good bargain in the schools they enroll in.

We’ve rallied companies to hire hundreds of thousands of veterans and their spouses. That’s the good news.  With the help of Jill Biden and Michelle Obama -- two pretty capable women…But now, we’ve got to help more of our highly skilled veterans find careers in this new economy. 

“America has to do right by all who serve under our proud flag.”

Read the President’s full remarks here.

First Lady Michelle Obama, in support of the Joining Forces initiative, addresses the 2014 National Conference on Ending Homelessness, in Washington, D.C., July 31, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

They risked their lives for our country, yet each night tens of thousands of veterans are sleeping in shelters, in their car, or on the street. Across the country, there are more than 58,000 homeless veterans, a staggering number that First Lady Michelle Obama called “a stain on the soul of this nation,” during a speech yesterday at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

"But as Americans, the idea that anyone who has worn our country’s uniform spends their nights sleeping on the ground should horrify us." 

And so it is truly our duty to right this wrong and put an end to veteran homelessness, once and for all. 

But that moral and patriotic duty is only part of the reason why ending veteran homelessness is so critical. As we all know, ending homelessness for our veterans can also be a crucial first step -- a proof point -- to show that we can end homelessness for everyone in this country, too.

And while there is still much work to do to end veteran homelessness, over the last three years, the Administration and its partners in states and communities have achieved a 24 percent decrease in homelessness among veterans.

Thanks to federal action, local leadership and the hard work of folks like you, we are on the verge of making a major breakthrough on veteran homelessness and a breakthrough that could change the entire conversation about homelessness in this country.  So today, it’s more important than ever that we redouble our efforts, that we embrace the most effective strategies to end homelessness among our veterans once and for all. 

Since taking office, President Obama has vowed to end veteran homelessness by directing record funding to veteran programs and embracing innovative strategies to ensure veterans are getting the support they need.

Read an op-ed from the First Lady on ending veteran homelessness once and for all.

In June, the First Lady, as part of the Joining Forces initiative, announced the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. By partnering with mayors and other state and local leaders across the country who will marshal federal, local, and non-profit efforts, the goal is to end veteran homelessness in their communities by the end of 2015. The First Lady announced during her speech that in the eight weeks since the launch of the challenge, 182 communities have signed the pledge.

And now, we can see the finish line. And if we achieve our goal, if we end homelessness for our veterans, then we’ll show everyone in this country that we can also do it for all those families shuttling from motel to motel, for all those LGBT teens and for every single person experiencing homelessness throughout our country.

That has been this organization’s goal since it formed more than a quarter century ago. And today, we are so close to this major milestone for our veterans. All we have to do is finish the job. 

Read the First Lady’s full remarks here, and sign up to receive Joining Forces updates in your inbox. 

President Barack Obama talks with a youngster outside Arthur Bryant's Barbeque in Kansas City, Missouri, July 29, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Yesterday, President Obama traveled to Kansas City, Missouri for a short one-day trip to have dinner with several people who had written him letters, and to give a speech today on ensuring that the economy works for everyone.

Last night, the President had dinner at Arthur Bryant’s BBQ in Kansas City with four local residents who had written to him to share how they're working hard to get ahead in America.

Watch Press Secretary Josh Earnest call to invite the letter writers to dinner:

Watch on YouTube

This is just the latest stop the President has made while on the road to meet with hardworking Americans who have written him, and to let them know he’s listening.

Victor, who joined the President for BBQ last night, is one of those letter writers. He wrote the President to explain how a student loan Income Based Repayment Plan had helped him and his family, and during dinner, told the President that the Affordable Care Act was key to his family getting health insurance. Victor introduced the President earlier today at the historic Uptown Theater in Kansas City, and joked that the President “can really tear up some ribs.”

After taking the podium, the President noted that Victor wasn’t too shy about eating, either. But the President quickly got down to the primary reason for his speech.

I’m here because Victor is the sort of person I'm working for every single day, somebody who never quits, somebody who is doing everything right, somebody who believes in the American dream. Somebody who just wants a chance to build a decent life for himself and his family. And that's the vast majority of Americans. That's who I'm fighting for right here in Kansas City and all across this country.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Mo., July 30, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

When the President took office, the economy was in free fall, but since then we’ve fought back and our country has improved by almost every economic measure. The President pointed out the progress we’ve made together.

Today, our businesses have added nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 52 months. Construction is up. Manufacturing is back. Our energy, our technology, our auto industries, they’re all booming. 

The unemployment rate is at its lowest point since September of 2008. It's dropped faster than any time in 30 years. This morning, we found out that in the second quarter of this year our economy grew at a strong pace, and businesses are investing, workers are building new homes, consumers are spending, America is exporting goods around the world.

The President noted that we’re the world’s number one oil and gas producer, that our high school graduation rate is at a record high, home prices are rising, and millions of families are getting the affordable health insurance they need. And the President made it clear that we’d be even stronger if Republicans would be willing to work together.

President Barack Obama talks with a youngster outside Arthur Bryant's Barbeque in Kansas City, Missouri, July 29, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

“Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down just about every idea that would have some of the biggest impact on middle-class and working-class families.”

And that obstruction comes at a cost to hard-working Americans and our economy.

They’ve said no to raising the minimum wage. They’ve said no to fair pay, making sure that women have the ability to make sure that they’re getting paid the same as men for doing the same job. They’ve said no for fixing our broken immigration system. Rather than investing in education, they actually voted to give another massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. And they’ve been pushing to gut the rules that we put in place after the financial crisis to make sure big banks and credit card companies wouldn’t take advantage of consumers or cause another crisis. So they haven’t been that helpful. 

The President is taking action to support middle class Americans, but he said that if Congress were willing to work together, we could be doing so much more.

“Come on and help out a little bit. Stop being mad all the time. Stop just hating all the time…Let’s get some work done together.”

In two days, Congress leaves Washington for a month, and the President noted that there is still time to get things done. But rather than voting on bills that would provide resources to fight wildfires in the West, or prevent the Highway Trust Fund from running out of money, the President pointed out that Republicans in Congress are focused on one issue.

“The main vote that they’ve scheduled for today is whether or not they decide to sue me for doing my job."

Despite the gridlock in Washington, the President is optimistic about the “inherent goodness and generosity of the American people.”

You can't afford to be cynical. Cynicism is fashionable sometimes. You see it all over our culture, all over TV; everybody likes just putting stuff down and being cynical and being negative, and that shows somehow that you're sophisticated and you're cool. You know what -- cynicism didn’t put a man on the moon. Cynicism didn’t win women the right to vote. Cynicism did not get a Civil Rights Act signed. Cynicism has never won a war. Cynicism has never cured a disease. Cynicism has never started a business. Cynicism has never fed a young mind.  

I do not believe in a cynical America; I believe in an optimistic America that is making progress. And I believe despite unyielding opposition, there are workers right now who have jobs who didn’t have them before because of what we've done; and folks who got health care who didn’t have it because of the work that we've done; and students who are going to college who couldn’t afford it before; and troops who’ve come home after tour after tour of duty because of what we've done.

“You don't have time to be cynical. Hope is a better choice.”

Read the President’s full remarks here, or watch them below:

Watch on YouTube

President Barack Obama greets audience members after he delivered remarks on the economy at Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Mo., July 30, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

As the President said today, "We want fewer young men in jail; we want more of them in college. We want fewer young men on the streets; we want more in the boardrooms. We want everybody to have a chance to succeed in America. And it’s possible if we’ve got the kind of team that we set up today."

Watch President Obama answer questions during today’s town hall:

Watch on YouTube

In February, as part of his plan to make 2014 a year of action focused on expanding opportunity for all Americans, the President unveiled the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.

The Administration is doing its part by identifying programs and policies that work, and recommending action that will help all our young people succeed. Since the launch of My Brother’s Keeper, the President’s Task Force has met with and heard from thousands of Americans, through online and in-person listening sessions, who are already taking action.

Today, leading private sector organizations announced independent commitments that further the goals of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative and directly address some of the key recommendations in the Task Force Report. These commitments include:

• The NBA, the National Basketball Players Association, and the National Basketball Retired Players Association announced a five-year commitment in partnership with MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, Team Turnaround, and the Council of Great City Schools. The partnership will focus on recruiting new mentors and work with educators in at-risk schools to provide incentive programs that increase attendance and improve overall school performance.
• AT&T announced an $18 million commitment to support mentoring and other education programs with a mentoring component.
• Becoming A Man (B.A.M.) and Match tutoring programs announced $10 million in new funding to expand to 3-5 new cities over the next three years and support a large-scale study on the programs’ long-term effects.
• Along with their partners from Silicon Valley and elsewhere, the Emerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs, will collaborate with districts and educators to launch a competition to find and develop the best designs for next generation high schools. Together, they will contribute $50 million for this effort.
• Citi Foundation is making a three-year, $10 million commitment to create ServiceWorks, a national program to help 25,000 young people in ten cities across the U.S. develop skills they need to prepare for college and careers.
• Today, the leaders of 60 of the largest school systems in the country, which collectively educate nearly three million of America’s male students of color, have joined in an unprecedented pledge to change life outcomes of boys and young men of color by better serving these students at every stage of their education. 
• The College Board is investing more than $1.5 million for “All In,” a national College Board program to ensure that 100 percent of African American, Latino, and Native American students with strong AP potential enroll in at least one matched AP class before graduation.
• Discovery Communications will invest more than $1 million to create an original independent special programming event to educate the public about issues related to boys and men of color and address negative public perceptions of them. 

Learn more about the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, including previous commitments and steps the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force is taking.

First Lady Michelle Obama meets with students in a pre-K classroom at the Yu Ying Public Charter School, a Chinese-immersion, International Baccalaureate elementary school in Washington, D.C., March 4, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Ed. note: This is cross-posted on HomeRoom, the U.S. Department of Education's official blog. See the original post here.

As part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s effort to encourage children to reach higher and pursue higher education, she will be visiting San Antonio on Friday to speak at the city’s College Signing Day.

College Signing Day is part of Destination College, a week of events started by Mayor Julián Castro to celebrate San Antonio as both a college town and a college-going town. To celebrate their commitment to higher education, San Antonio residents show their support by wearing college apparel on Signing Day. (Watch a video of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan attending a Signing Day in San Antonio.)

To inspire students across the country to consider applying to college, we’re encouraging journalists, celebrities, government officials, and YOU to wear college gear on Friday, May 2. It can be as simple as a hat, tie, sweatshirt, or socks – anything to help get the word out. We would be honored if you would join this effort and wear your college apparel on Friday and share photos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, or any social media platform using the hashtag #ReachHigher.

In her remarks on Friday, the First Lady will highlight the significance of pursuing and completing some form of higher education and the importance of students doing their part to answer the President’s ‘North Star’ Education Goal that by the year 2020, America once again has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

In only two years, the 12 states with Race to the Top grants continue to show improvements in teaching and learning in their schools. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released state-specific reports for the 12 Race to the Top states, providing detailed, transparent summaries of each state’s accomplishments and challenges in year two, which covered the 2011-12 school year.

The 12 states—Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee—reached a number of benchmarks in year two, as they implemented unique plans built around Race to the Top’s four assurance areas:

• Implementing college- and career-ready standards and assessments,
• Building robust data systems to improve instruction,
• Supporting great teachers and school leaders, and
• Turning around persistently low-performing schools.

Some of the exciting new investments states are making include development of new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) schools or programs, new pipelines for teachers and leaders, and building robust data systems to improve instruction.

“Race to the Top has sparked dramatic changes, and in only the second year of the program we’re seeing those results reach the classroom,” Secretary Arne Duncan said about the reports. “Comprehensive education reform isn’t easy, and a few states have faced major challenges in implementing their plans. As we reach the halfway point, we need to see every state show results.”

Learn more about Race to the Top, and read the reports.

Cameron Brenchley is Director of Digital Strategy at the U.S. Department of Education

Continuing its commitment to education and an America built to last, the Obama Administration released its 2013 budget proposal to Congress today. It includes new education investments that will give U.S. students and workers the education and training they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

The Department of Education is requesting $69.8 billion in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2013, an increase of $1.7 billion, or 2.5 percent, from 2012. The critical investments in education are part of an overall federal budget that abides by very tight spending caps that reduce discretionary spending by $1 trillion over 10 years and, including that amount, has more than $4 trillion of balanced deficit reduction.

But what, exactly, does this mean for you?

Job Training to Meet the Demands of the Workforce
Helping students, employers and communities.

Two million jobs are waiting to be filled in the United States, yet many Americans seeking work don’t have the necessary skills to fill those jobs. To close that skills gap and deliver employers the kinds of workers they want to hire, the Administration is proposing $8 billion for a new Community College to Career Fund.

These funds would help community colleges become community career centers where individuals can learn the skills that local businesses need. Additionally, employers would offer paid internships for low-income students to help them learn skills on the job and gain experience.

ED is also proposing to invest $1.1 billion to support the reauthorization and reform of the Career and Technical Education program to ensure that the training and education our students receive are in line with the demands of the workforce.

Boosting the Teaching Profession
Giving teachers the respect and support they deserve.

ED is proposing $5 billion in competitive funding to support states and districts as they pursue bold reforms that can help better prepare, support and compensate America’s teachers.

The Department would also invest $190 million for a new Presidential Teaching Fellows program that would provide scholarships to talented students who attend top-tier teacher prep programs and commit to working in high-need schools.

The budget also creates $620 million in new grants for states that would reward and support highly effective teacher preparation programs, help decrease STEM teacher shortages, and invest in efforts to enhance the teaching profession.

Making College Affordable
Ensuring that everyone gets a shot at higher education.

The 2013 budget seeks to make college more affordable and to help achieve President Obama’s goal of the U.S. leading the world in college graduates by 2020.  The budget proposes to sustain the maximum Pell Grant and increase the maximum award amount to $5,635, supporting nearly 10 million students across the country.

The Department is proposing to freeze the interest rate on subsidized student loans at 3.4 percent. Currently the rate is scheduled to double to 6.8 percent this summer if Congress doesn’t act.

The budget seeks to tackle college costs and quality by encouraging shared responsibility among states, colleges, families and the federal government. ED would invest $1 billion for a new Race to the Top focusing on college affordability and completion to drive reform at the state level and help students finish faster. This new Race to the Top would provide incentives for colleges to keep costs under control, it would double the number of work-study jobs, and it would increase by nearly $7.5 billion the amount available for Perkins loans.

Additional Budget Information:

• ED budget press release
• ED’s budget request and related documents
• President Obama’s remarks on the budget at Northern Virginia Community College
• FACT SHEET: A Blueprint to Train Two Million Workers for High-Demand Industries through a Community College to Career Fund

Cameron Brenchley is the Director of Digital Engagement for the U.S. Department of Education.

James Henderson, 12, holds up a letter from President Barack Obama. Henderson wrote to the President in May about cuts to education. July 18, 2011. (by Lodi News-Sentinel)

It’s no secret that schools around the country are facing deep budget cuts, often resulting in layoffs of staff and teachers and putting the burden on teachers to purchase much-needed supplies for their classrooms. The lack of school supplies caused one Lodi, California middle school student to take his case directly to President Obama in a letter.

In the President’s personal response, he thanked Henderson for sharing his ideas and commended him for his commitment to the community. “In America, each of us can write our own destiny,” the President wrote. “So long as you are willing to dream big and work hard, you can accomplish great things and help others to do the same.”

Secretary Duncan calls this tough economic climate for schools “the new normal.” To address the new normal, the Department of Education recently offered promising practices to states and communities on the effective, efficient and responsible use of resources in tight budget times. “We have to continue to invest [in education]” Duncan recently warned. “Budgets reflect our values, they reflect our priorities.”

Read more about James Henderson and President Obama’s response at the Lodi News-Sentinel.

In the video below, Secretary Duncan explains that today, May 3, “is a special day to give teachers the appreciation that they deserve every day,” and he asks all of us to join him in thanking a teacher on our own Facebook page.

Watch on YouTube

Posting a simple “thank you” and the name of a teacher who has inspired you is just one small way to appreciate such important individuals, but it isn’t limited to only Facebook.  If you are a regular on Twitter, give a shout-out to your favorite teacher by using the hashtag #thankateacher, or feel free to thank teachers wherever you frequent online.  Some of us may be more comfortable picking up the phone or writing a quick note to a truly influential teacher, yet no matter your method of communication, we can all reach out and provide a heartfelt “thank you.” After all, if you can read this blog post, you have a teacher to thank.

Publicly recognizing great teachers is an easy way to show appreciation, but there are, of course, more enduring ways to elevate the teaching profession to its rightful place in our society.  We at the Department of Education know that support for teachers should be continuous, which is why one of ED’s top priorities is to continue strengthening the teaching profession. In an open letter to teachers yesterday, Arne said that he considers teaching “an honorable and important profession, and it is my goal to see that you are treated with the dignity we award to other professionals in society.” It’s about time we recognize teachers for what they truly are: the nation-builders of the 21st century.

Read more about Arne’s favorite teacher Mrs. McCampbell, and more about other ED events during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.