Emergency Memo Teach.Gov

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

MEMORANDUM

DATE: August 5, 2010

TO: Bridget Dooling

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Office of Management and Budget

FROM: Matthew Yale

Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

SUBJECT: Emergency Clearance for Job Listing Collection on TEACH.gov

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) seeks emergency approval of the information collection requirements for a fully functional web based application that would link prospective teachers to opportunities for preparation, licensure, and employment.  The job-posting feature of this Web site (i.e., TEACH.gov) must be fully functional by next month, September 2010, so the Administration can provide an effective resource for prospective and current teachers who are interested in teaching opportunities throughout the United States. In order to meet this need, ED must be able to collect limited information before the expiration of the time period established under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The TEACH campaign, which includes TEACH.gov, is a high priority of the Secretary of Education (Secretary) and has the full and enthusiastic support of the President. Indeed, the Secretary is committed to delivering a full functioning Web site for the start of this coming school year, and is scheduled to unveil TEACH.gov to the public next month with endorsements by the President and a variety of celebrities.

The FY 2009 appropriation for the School Improvement Program authorizes the Secretary to establish a national initiative, such as the TEACH campaign, to improve the recruitment, training, mentoring, retention, and placement of teachers and principals in order to improve educational outcomes. TEACH.gov is an essential component of the Secretary's effort to increase interest in and access to the teaching profession, particularly among minority individuals, and particularly in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). TEACH.gov will be a virtual “one stop shopping center” for aspiring teachers to learn about ways to find a career in teaching that is personally best for them. 

The Secretary plans to enter into partnerships with several organizations that support increasing interest in, and access to, the teaching profession, particularly among minority individuals and particularly for teaching STEM subjects. These organizations will work with the Department to direct aspiring minority and STEM teacher candidates to TEACH.gov to seek information about career opportunities as a teacher.

To provide prospective teachers with the benefits of this resource prior to the start of the 2010-2011 school year, ED is requesting approval of the included ICR package by August 20, 2010. Simultaneously with this request for emergency approval, we started the process of requesting a full three-year approval of this ICR and submitted to the Office of the Federal Register the first notice requesting comments.

We ask for emergency approval because both the President and the Secretary believe that it is imperative that we increase interest in, and access to, the teaching profession, particularly for minority individuals and individuals who are interested in teaching STEM subjects. The Secretary believes that TEACH.gov will be very effective at achieving this objective, and no other Web site currently exists that is as comprehensive as TEACH.gov. We must launch TEACH.gov as soon as possible to meet the needs of schools and school districts in the coming academic year.  Without your approval of the Secretary’s emergency request, we will be prohibited from collecting and providing essential information to aspiring teachers in a timely manner. Failure to launch TEACH.gov for this coming academic year would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the Administration's effort to increase the number of minority teachers and teachers of STEM subjects.

Thank you for your prompt consideration of this request. If you have questions, please contact Jen Waller of the Office of the Secretary via telephone at 202-401-0447 or via email at jen.waller@ed.gov.