Call it "Arne Duncan Unplugged," an unscripted Monday afternoon exchange at QuEST between the U.S. education secretary and AFT members on the issues that matter most to education's frontline. The July 13 session began with a drum roll: AFT members' handwritten questions for the education secretary were collected in advance and placed inside an onstage sweepstakes drum. After a few turns, AFT president Randi Weingarten reached in and selected a handful at random, and Duncan took the stage to provide some answers.

Highlights from the recently concluded 2009 AFT QuEST conference in Washington, D.C., included AFT president Randi Weingarten's keynote address, a town hall meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a panel on community schools and remarks from U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Daily updates from the conference, as well as video highlights, can be found on the AFT's QuEST 2009 Web site.

ING awards $240,000 every year to K-12 Educators through the ING Unsung Heroes^® grant program

Are you a classroom hero?
As an educator, you’re well aware of the difficult challenges you often face in the classroom today. Keeping students motivated and away from outside distractions while dealing with shrinking budgets, larger classes, and limited resources takes dedication and creativity. The ING Unsung Heroes^® program recognizes teachers who make a difference by finding ways to take teaching to new heights and make learning fun.

Initiated by ING in 1995, the ING Unsung Heroes program invites educators to submit applications describing projects they have initiated or would like to create. Their applications are judged on their innovative teaching methods, creativity, and ability to make a positive influence on the children they teach.