Holmes Partnership Storms San Antonio With Educators From Across Country

National Teacher of the Year, Kimberly Oliver,
President of NCTAF, Tom Carroll, and Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte among keynote speakers 

CONTACT:
Jade Floyd,
amangino@aacte.org
or 202.478.4596

San Antonio, T.X. (January 23, 2007) The 11th Annual Meeting of the Holmes Partnership™, coined “Nuts,
Bolts & Knowledge”, will take place January 26 – 28th at the Rivercenter Marriott Hotel, 101 Bowie Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205.

Holmes Partnership is a consortium of universities, public school districts, teacher associations, local and national organizations. Their partnerships serve as a major vehicle to reform teaching and learning both in the public school and higher education setting.

The annual conference draws 600 attendees each year, including teachers and administrators from elementary, middle and high schools; union leaders; parent organization representatives; community organizations; and faculty and staff from institutions of higher education from across the country.

Several national education figures will keynote the education confab, including:

Kimberly Oliver, National Teacher of the Year
Friday, January 26th from 2 to 3 p.m.
“Best Foot Forward: Putting Students on the Path of Lifelong Learning”

The National Teacher of the Year Program, sponsored by ING in partnership with Scholastic Inc., is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The National Teacher of the Year Program focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is the oldest and most prestigious awards program for teachers. Oliver, a kindergarten teacher at Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the 56th national teacher of the year and the first to represent Maryland.

Tom Carroll, Ph.D., President of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future
Saturday, January 27th from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“Teaching Alone In a Flat World”

Tom Carroll, Ph.D. was named President of NCTAF in November 2001 succeeding the organization’s founding
Executive Director, Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond. In his role as NCTAF’s President, Dr. Carroll leads the organization’s efforts to raise standards for teaching and learning, improve professional development, and restructure school environments so that the needs of all students are met. Dr. Carroll joined NCTAF from the U.S. Department of Education, where he was founding director of the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (“PT3”) grants program since 1999.

Senator Leticia Van de Putte, D-TX
Sunday, January 28th from 9 to 9:30 a.m.
“Families, Communities & Education – A Political Perspective”

Senator Leticia Van de Putte, a pharmacist for more than 26 years, is now serving her fourth term as a Texas State Senator for District 26. In 2002 she became the Chair of the Senate Hispanic Caucus and is currently the Chair of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus. Nationally, she is president of the National Conference of State Legislatures and is a member of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, where she served as President from 2003 to 2005. The Senator serves as Chair of the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, and also is a member of the Senate Committees on Education, State Affairs, and Business and Commerce.

For more information on “Nuts, Bolts & Knowledge” please visit http://www.holmespartnership.org/2007%20program.pdf