Louisiana Governor Launches a 16-State Online Teacher Center

Louisiana Governor Launches a 16-State Online Teacher Center The New Site Will Serve as a Regional Network of Educational Resources for New, Experienced, and Aspiring Teachers CULVER CITY, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, chair of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), announced the release of the SREB-State Teacher Center, an innovative online system that will serve a wide range of educators across 16 states. This first-of-its-kind program was launched in a joint session of the SREB Executive Committee and the SREB Legislative Work Conference. SREB is the nation's first interstate compact for education. The SREB-State Teacher Center (www.TheTeacherCenter.org) provides numerous resources that new, experienced, and aspiring teachers can use to advance or plan their educational career at a college, university, or program within the SREB states. The site is a key component to the SREB's Electronic Campus (www.electroniccampus.org), and it was designed in partnership with Xap Corporation, the leading provider of Internet-based educational services, with the support of education agency leaders for grades K through 12 and higher, within all of the SREB's 16-member states. "We created a one-stop source of information and resources for teachers, administrators, counselors, librarians, teacher aides and others who are, or want to become, teachers," Governor Blanco said. "The center allows educators to find all of the resources on any SREB state -- including the latest information about every state's 'highly qualified' requirements," Governor Blanco continued. "The center allows people with careers outside of teaching to easily get to our states' alternative teacher preparation programs, to search online courses and programs quickly and easily, to link to professional development courses, and to apply for admission or financial aid with a few clicks of the mouse." The Teacher Center contains links to online courses, professional development programs, information about financial aid, the No Child Left Behind program, requirements for "highly qualified" teachers, licensure and certification, alternative routes to teaching, and numerous other online services. "The SREB-State Teacher Center represents an exciting new dimension in online learning," said Liz Dietz, CEO of Xap Corporation. "This program will serve as a blueprint for other states and regions as they work to solve their own educational challenges. The specific resources the site provides and the targeted focus on 'educating the educators' will do much to further the cause for primary, secondary, and higher education for all the SREB member states." About SREB The Southern Regional Education Board (www.sreb.org), headquartered in Atlanta, was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to help leaders in education and government work cooperatively to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. SREB has 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Each state is represented by its governor and four gubernatorial appointees. About Xap Xap Corporation (www.xap.com) is the leading developer of online student services systems for associations and state-wide groups of colleges and universities across the United States. Xap now has sites that cover 11 of the 16 SREB member states: Alabama (www.alabamamentor.org), Delaware (www.delawarementor.org), Georgia (www.georgiamentor.org), Kentucky (www.gohigherky.org), Maryland (www.marylandmentor.org), Mississippi (www.mississippimentor.org), North Carolina (www.cfnc.org), Tennessee (www.tennesseementor.org), Texas (www.texasmentor.org), Virginia (www.virginiamentor.org), West Virginia (www.wvmentor.org). Source: Xap Corporation CONTACT: Romy Teh of Xap Corporation, +1-310-945-0512, romy@xap.com; or Bruce Chaloux of SREB, +1-404-875-9211, bruce.chaloux@sreb.org Web site: http://www.theteachercenter.org/ Web site: http://www.electroniccampus.org/ Web site: http://www.sreb.org/ Web site: http://www.xap.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment