College of Education and Human Development

Dr. Jill Biden and General Raymond Odierno at Mason Today to Celebrate "Operation Educate the Educators"

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and  Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno were at George Mason University today to celebrate "Operation Educate the Educators."

The event on the Fairfax campus included George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera and Mark R. Ginsberg, the dean of Mason's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) as well as a board member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).

The college was one of the first to sign on to the Joining Forces' "Operation Educate the Educators" initiative of AACTE and the Military Child Education Coalition.

Today's event celebrated a milestone achievement in the project, which now has more than 100 colleges and universities signed on to help prepare educators to lead classrooms and develop school cultures that are more responsive to the social, emotional and academic needs of children in military families.

Joining Forces is the national initiative started by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden which aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure veterans and military families have the recognition and support they have earned.

  "As a military mom and as Second Lady, I have heard over and over from military families just how important it is that school be a supportive environment for children. Military children on average attend six to nine different school systems.  Through each transition, they are faced with leaving their friends, and adjusting to new schools and new surroundings, all of which can affect a student's opportunity to achieve academic success," said Dr. Jill Biden.  "As a teacher, this issue is particularly close to my heart. Through Operation Educate the Educators, I know future educators across the country will be better prepared to make a difference in the life of a military child."

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For additional information on "Operation Educate the Educators":

• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education: www.aacte.org
• Military Child Education Coalition: militarychild.org
• Joining Forces: joiningforces.gov

For additional information on the College of Education and Human Development:

George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools, the Graduate School of Education, which is the largest in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a comprehensive range of degrees, courses, licensures, and professional development programs on campus, online, and on site. The college is distinguished by faculty who encourage new ways of thinking and pioneering research supported by more than $75 million in funding over the past five years.

• Contact CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
• College of Education and Human Development: cehd.gmu.edu

Follow CEHD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MasonCEHD or Twitter at @MasonCEHD.