This opportunity can become an extremely important venue for your input. The regional laboratories (as in NCREL) and even the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse have been slated for elimination by next September. The Regional Technical Centers will take their places; their design is being deliberated now and you have a chance to offer your perspectives. Please do so.
Paige Appoints Regional Advisory Committees; Illinois input is requested
U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige has appointed ten Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) to advise the U.S. Department of Education on the technical assistance needs of States, school districts, and schools as they implement the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The ten committees - made up of state education agency representatives, parents, local education agency representatives, educators, business executives, and researchers - are charged with conducting regional education needs assessments and recommending technical assistance priorities in their region.
Each RAC will submit a report to the Secretary of Education in March 2005 that will help the U.S. Department of Education establish funding priorities for 20 new technical assistance centers that will replace the 15 existing Comprehensive Centers, the 10 existing Regional Technology in Education Consortia, and the 10 existing Eisenhower Regional Math/Science Consortia (the amount of funds appropriated for technical assistance will remain at roughly $57 million). The competition for the new centers will be held in 2005.
You and your colleagues can ensure that your input is considered by registering on the RAC Web site at <http://www.rac-ed.org/> and posting your comments, in the public discussion area designated for your region, on the following issues:
o What are the challenges and needs for assistance as schools, districts, states strive to improve student achievement and implement the requirements of NCLB?
o Are there challenges and needs that are unique to individual region - needs that the Department ought to give special consideration to?
o How can/should these needs be addressed by technical assistance? What kinds of help are needed to address the needs and challenges?
o How might federal technical assistance providers, in particular, best contribute to addressing education and technical assistance needs?
By registering at the site you can provide comments that will be considered by the RAC in your region when it produces its report, view and listen to online public regional meetings, and receive e-bulletins with updates on regional information and events. You must pre-register but registration is limited due to cost considerations. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope that you take the time to help shape the technical assistance provided to your region by visiting the Web site at <http://www.rac-ed.org/>.
Illinois is assigned to the North Central Regional Advisory Committee, whose meetings are scheduled for :
o Tuesday, February 8, 2005 (10am-12 pm EST)
o Thursday, March 10, 2005 (9am-11am EST)
If you have any questions regarding the RAC project, please contact Enid Simmons at enid.simmons@xxxxxx <mailto:enid.simmons@xxxxxx>or Kathryn Doherty at Kathryn.Doherty@xxxxxx <mailto:Kathryn.Doherty@xxxxxx>. You may access minutes or listen to a recording of the proceedings of the meeting over the Web at the RAC web site: http://www.rac-ed.or within fourteen days of the meeting.
Gwen Pollock, Science
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street, C-215
Phone: 217/557-7323
Fax: 217/782-7937
gpollock@xxxxxxxx
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