Attention NBCTs!  The information below came directly from NBPTS.  The Teaching Ambassador Fellowship is a wonderful opportunity and I really hope someone from SC will apply.     Dear National Board Certified Teacher, We are extremely excited to announce that applications for the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching Ambassador Fellowships are now available. We know you are probably starting your winter break so we wanted to get this out to you well before the January 29, 2013 deadline because, as a NBCT, you are the ideal applicant for this position. This highly selective program was created because the Department of Education believes that teachers should have meaningful opportunities to both contribute to, and understand, the policies that impact their students and school communities. Teaching Ambassadors are outstanding teachers with a record of leadership, strong communication skills, and policy insight who contribute their classroom expertise to the national dialogue and in turn facilitate discussions with educators across the country. The Washington Fellowship is a full-time appointment based at the Department's Headquarters in Washington DC. The Classroom Fellowship  enables teachers to participate on a part-time basis for the Department, in addition to their regular school responsibilities, working in collaboration with the Department's Regional Offices. 50% of the current Teaching Ambassadors are NBCTs and two of our NBCTs on staff have also served in this role. Think about how powerful it would be if 100% of the 2013-2014 Teaching Ambassador Fellows were National Board Certified Teachers! Current Teaching Ambassador and Washington state NBCT Lisa Clarke strongly encourages other NBCTs to apply. "As as we think about building capacity for teacher leaders, this is a unique opportunity to do that---not only to learn from policy makers and professional organizations but also to learn from the hundreds of teachers that we're speaking with around the country." Positions are paid for one-year on a full- and part-time basis. The application deadline is January 29, 2013 and we encourage each and every one of you to apply. To access the applications, please visit the Applicant Information page or go directly to www.usajobs.gov to apply for the Washington Fellowship and/or the Classroom Fellowship . The Teaching Ambassador Fellowship is a unique opportunity for accomplished classroom teachers to have an impact on federal education policy. Who better to make an impact than National Board Certified Teachers? Sincerely, Michelle Accardi, NBCT Director of State Policy Andy Coons, NBCT Chief Operating Officer Geneviève DeBose, NBCT Director of Educator Engagement Former Washington Teaching Ambassador Andrea Hajek, NBCT Director of Educator Engagement Kristin Hamilton, NBCT Director of Standards Patrick Ledesma, NBCT Director of Research and Knowledge Management Former Classroom Teaching Ambassador    NBPTS on the Web | Accomplished Teacher