Washington Governor and Microsoft Sign Key Education Partnership

Washington Gov. Gary Locke recently signed an agreement with Microsoft to work together to improve student achievement in the state, particularly among at-risk students, through the strategic use of technology. Washington will be the first state to participate in the company’s new U.S. Partners in Learning program. http://www.microsoft.com/education/partnersinlearning.aspx

http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=90232

The joint effort will:

* Develop a program that prepares teachers to use technology in breakthrough ways in the classroom; and

* Develop technology-rich programs to help raise student achievement with at-risk students.

The five-year agreement also includes a $3 million funding commitment from Microsoft to the state.

"Technology has opened new doors of opportunity for our students, and has also placed a new responsibility on our educators," Locke said. "By working with an innovator such as Microsoft, we will be able to better use technology in our classrooms and develop teaching models that can be used in our state and across the nation."

Microsoft’s U.S. Partners in Learning program will invest a total $35 million during the next five years in select states to develop projects that combine teaching and technology in innovative ways to serve as blueprints and models for other education institutions.

Sherri Bealkowski, general manager of Microsoft public sector solutions and programs, said, "U.S. Partners in Learning is a long-term commitment from Microsoft to partner with state governments, local schools, teachers and partners, establishing a sustainable foundation for continued advances in education and learning."