Contact:
Christel Henke
414-332-2933
chenke@hansondodge.com
For Immediate Release
Businesses Invited to ‘Sponsor a Teacher’
ASQ Program Helps Match Businesses, Teachers to Prepare Future Work Force
Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 10, 2009 — Businesses that are concerned about 21st century skills and competitiveness in the future work force now have a chance to support educators in their community as part of a new ASQ (American Society for Quality) initiative. The ‘sponsor a teacher’ program invites any business to sponsor educators or a district to attend this year’s National Quality Education Conference (NQEC),
Oct. 25-27 in Jacksonville, Fla. The program—and the conference—helps teachers to enforce and promote problem-solving, critical thinking and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills in the classroom to ensure students are fully skilled when entering the work force.
During this challenging economy, schools continue to face even more budget cuts that will impact student achievement. This program will provide vital professional development that teachers and administrators need to help students advance skills that will provide a stronger work force for tomorrow. NQEC offers educators more than 40 in-depth sessions and five half-day workshops featuring education practitioners and experts in six major tracks supporting the national education agenda for high standards, data driven decisions, increased graduation rates, improved teacher and principal quality and closing the achievement gap. Tracks include Developing New Leaders and Teachers; New to Quality: How to Get Started; Rapid Response Assessment; The Power of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs); and Integrating Measurement. For more information on NQEC, visit http://nqec.asq.org/.
How to Sponsor a Teacher
To get started, businesses can select a teacher, school or district—or ASQ can help to match businesses with an educator in need. Contact Crista Kautz at ckautz@asq.org or 800-248-1946 x8740 for help in finding an educator in need from your area. The chosen educator will complete the registration form at http://nqec.asq.org/sponsor-a-teacher.html. Each sponsored teacher attendee will receive a special conference rate of $355. While travel costs are not included in this rate, ASQ encourages businesses to consider also covering travel costs for a teacher.
Supporting businesses will receive recognition on the NQEC Web site, signage at the conference, a
6" x 8" commemorative plaque that recognizes the sponsoring organization’s commitment to quality in education, as well as assistance with local publicity. ASQ will provide a mini-library of continuous improvement e-books to every teacher or district that is sponsored by a local business.
NQEC is the nation’s leading conference for teachers, administrators and support personnel to learn about the use of quality tools and concepts that can be applied to improve U.S. schools. It is an outstanding opportunity for educators seeking awareness, commitment, refinement and measurable progress in applying continuous improvement approaches and processes. In addition to numerous special sessions for K-12, it’s also a venue for educators and administrators to interact with their peers from school districts across the country and around the world.
ASQ, www.asq.org, has been the world’s leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great®. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
