Melinda George
Melinda George is Learning Forward’s chief policy officer, serving on the Learning Forward leadership team and overseeing Learning Forward’s policy and advocacy work. Melinda has been integral to developing strategy and facilitating networks as well as leading the Learning Forward fundraising team. Prior to joining Learning Forward, Melinda was the president of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF) where she led its charge to build a research-based framework of policies and practices that ensure every child has access to a competent, caring teacher in a school organized for success. From 2006-11, Melinda served as the senior director of Education Strategic Relations at PBS, where she developed national partnerships and oversaw the development of PBS TeacherLine, an online professional development service. Prior to PBS, Melinda was the first executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). Melinda began her career as a 4th- and 5th-grade teacher in D.C. Public Schools.
All Articles
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Federal education funding ramps up as the elections wind down
On the first Monday after Election Day and more than two months late, the Senate Appropriations Committee finally introduced its versions of all twelve FY21 Appropriations bills, including Labor HHS Education Appropriations. Overall, the Senate education spending bill provides somewhat less money for the Department of Education and its programs […] -
COVID relief deal unlikely as House and Senate are too far apart
The old adage “Don’t confuse motion with progress” is sadly applicable to recent efforts to pass new COVID relief legislation. Yes, the House passed last month a new version of the HEROES Act that contains an additional $175 billion in COVID relief funding for K-12 schools, with professional learning a […] -
Closing the homework gap is more important than ever
Two studies released this summer found that between 15 million and 16.9 million children in the United States lack adequate home internet access. Let me repeat those numbers: 15 to 16.9 million. According to the study from Common Sense Media, this means that 30% of all public K-12 students fall […] -
K-12 spending a nettlesome issue as the House and Senate diverge greatly
With school already in session in some places and most schools commencing in a few weeks, it is hard to believe that Congress and the Administration remain stalled in negotiating another COVID-19 Relief bill that is supposed to focus on education. After days of apparently fruitless talks, House Speaker Nancy […] -
Webinars teach us and bring us together
When the world moved online in mid-March, Learning Forward launched a series of weekly webinars to help educators navigate the new COVID-19 environment. With an emphasis on practitioners helping practitioners, the webinars are built around two goals: learning from one another’s experiences and building community. We have had a tremendous […] -
House approves education funding including Title II-A increase
On July 13, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2021 education funding bill, voting to support a $22.5 million increase for Title II-A. This is a win for Learning Forward as it not only preserves last year’s $76 million increase for this critical professional learning […] -
Aim higher as we move toward a new normal
Over the past few months, Learning Forward has convened educators to share support in navigating the COVID-19 crisis. Through webinars, our online community, and individual conversations, we have heard educators’ needs evolve week by week. Many education systems focused initially on food and safety and then on internet connectivity and […] -
Professional development vouchers are not what educators need
Learning Forward has long worked to ensure that all educators, particularly those serving students with the highest needs, have access to high-quality professional learning that aligns to the Learning Forward Standards for Professional Learning. Because of our efforts to educate the field about what works, professional learning is shifting away […] -
Unprecedented Times Call for Stop Gap Measures – But That Can’t Be the 'New Normal'
Over the past several weeks, Learning Forward has listened as educators in our COVID-19 webinars, our online community, and individual conversations have shared that they need support. They need support in teaching online, they need support in connecting virtually, they need support in fulfilling their students’ needs. And this support […] -
For professional learning budgets, more of the same is not enough
There are some things in this world that require annual care and feeding. Upgrading and increasing professional learning budgets are one of those things. For most school districts, though, the professional learning budget is often not growing to keep pace with educator needs. This needs to change. More of the […]
