White House to Honor Jessica Gogerty as “Champion of Change”
The following is an announcement from the White House Office of Communications:
Jessica Gogerty, sandwiched between Arne Duncan and Presidential advisor Roberto Rodriguez, attended a White House conversation to discuss the STEM Master Teacher Corps.
On Tuesday, August 21st, the White House will welcome more than 100 state, district, and school leaders and educators from 45 states, the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Indian Education, Puerto Rico, and America Samoa, for a briefing on the transformative efforts underway in struggling schools nationwide through the federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.
The event will honor 12 distinguished school turnaround leaders, including Jessica Gogerty, as “Champions of Change.” Honorees will be recognized for their roles in building a culture of high expectations, improving instruction, creating safe environments for learning, and fostering professional collaboration among many other notable efforts to elevate the quality of education in their schools. The event will give local leaders the opportunity to share their stories with colleagues from across the country.
The SIG program invests in locally driven efforts to turn around our nation’s persistently lowest-performing schools characterized by consecutive years of low attendance rates, low student achievement, low graduation rates, as well as high rates of staff turnover and student disciplinary action. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education revamped the SIG program through stronger criteria and a $3 billion Recovery Act investment. Today, more than 1,300 schools are working to improve school culture and student performance through the SIG program.
The White House Champions of Change program was created to honor ordinary Americans doing great work in their communities. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.
“President Obama knows that education is the driving force in creating greater opportunities for our nation’s children and our economy,” said Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement, Jon Carson. “The White House is honored to recognize these 12 educators for their leadership and work to transform several of America’s struggling schools. Their efforts will provide thousands more students with the knowledge, tools and real opportunity that they need to prepare for success in college and in future careers.”
Jessica Gogerty is a National Board Certified teacher, a Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, and a school improvement leader now serving at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Gogerty earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry education from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in science education from the University of Iowa, and a specialist’s degree in educational leadership from Drake University. Prior to serving a Roosevelt High School, Gogerty worked at North High School for 15 years. Student achievement rose dramatically at North High after the school received a School Improvement Grant.
To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET on Tuesday, August 21st.
