Secretary of Education Rod Paige this week announced the formation of two new offices within the Education Department, the Office of Innovation and Improvement and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Nina Shokraii Rees will leave her job as deputy assistant to Vice President Cheney to serve as deputy undersecretary in charge of the new Office of Innovation and Improvement. It will assume responsibility for federal programs related to choice, charter schools, private schools, and magnet schools, and will work with the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to implement the public school choice and supplemental services provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. The Office of Innovation and Improvement will also house many of the department's discretionary programs, such as Transition to Teaching. The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, to be led by former Texas appeals court judge Eric Andell, will house all programs related to safe schools, crisis and response, alcohol and drug prevention, health and well being of students, and building strong character and citizenship. Press releases ("Paige Announces Formation of Two New Offices"; "Nina Shokraii Rees to Head New Office of Innovation and Improvement"; and "Eric D. Andell to Lead New Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools") are available at http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/index.html.
