PBS TeacherLine’s Melinda George Appointed to
Mom Congress on Education and Learning Advisory Board

Arlington, Va. (March 24, 2009) – Melinda George, Senior Director of PBS TeacherLine^® and National Education Partnerships for PBS, has been appointed to the advisory board of the Mom Congress™ on Education and Learning. The Mom Congress, which launched today, is a new prosocial initiative developed by Parenting magazine to celebrate and connect moms advocating for education reform. Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies will serve as the educational provider for the initiative and will work with Parenting to develop the intellectual aspects of the program. In this role, George will share her education expertise and commitment to improving teaching and learning in America’s schools with moms across the country who participate in the Mom Congress (www.parenting.com/momcongress).

George has more than 15 years of experience in educational leadership and technology. As Senior Director, she provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of PBS TeacherLine (www.pbs.org/teacherline), a premier provider of high-quality online professional development for educators, school districts and education associations, and works with national education partners to shape education policy and positively impact teaching and learning. Since joining PBS TeacherLine, George has been instrumental in the organization’s year-over-year growth in course enrollment, expansion of course offerings and strategic partnerships, and the launch of a new online offering for school-based professional developers. Under her leadership, PBS TeacherLine has been recognized for its excellence by organizations such as the United States Distance Learning Association, National Education Association Academy, and the Software & Information Industry Association.

During her extensive career, George has advised Congress and the U.S. Department of Education on effective technology use in schools, led the State Educational Technology Directors Association, and was an elementary school teacher. In 2008, “eSchool News” named George one of the 10 leaders who’ve had a profound impact on educational technology in the last decade.

At the Mom Congress press conference today at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Parenting also revealed the findings of a survey of 460 moms with school-age children that was conducted by the MomConnection^® research panel. The survey indicated that one of the key areas moms said that they’d fight hardest to protect was technology. Moms gave one of the lowest grades to their schools’ performance in preparing kids for today’s world.

PBS TeacherLine is dedicated to helping preK-12 educators acquire the knowledge and skills needed to engage students in learning and successfully prepare them for the future. The organization offers more than 130 facilitated, online graduate-level courses that span the curriculum and online resources and tools that support instructional coaches, mentors and teacher-leaders who are responsible for helping peers improve their teaching.

More Information

Editor’s Note: For a full bio and photo of George, click here. For more information on the Mom Congress initiative and the advisory board visit www.parenting.com/momcongress.

About PBS TeacherLine

PBS TeacherLine is committed to helping teachers acquire the skills they need to prepare students for a successful future. PBS TeacherLine provides high-quality, affordable professional development through facilitated, online courses, collaborative learning communities, and exemplary Internet-based resources. Currently, more than 130 courses across multiple subject areas are offered. Teachers can earn continuing education units, professional development points, and graduate credits for course completion. The courses have been developed in conjunction with leading education organizations, including Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Education Development Center (EDC), Concord Consortium, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and International Society for Technology Education. Created in 2000, PBS TeacherLine is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for $6,046,811. This represents approximately 85 percent of the total program funding. The remaining 15 percent is funded through in-kind support from PBS and through program income. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/teacherline.

PBS TeacherLine^® is a registered trademark of PBS. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About PBS

PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans – from every walk of life – the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each week, PBS reaches more than 65 million people and invites them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs have been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.

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