embassy programs

2009 

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Visits Portugal

Top: Margaret Spellings Bottom: A view of the audience   (Photo: Jorge Arcanjo, US Embassy)

April 15-19 - On her first visit to Portugal, April 15-19, made at the invitation of U.S. Ambassador to Portugal Thomas F. Stephenson, former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings engaged not only those directly involved in the field of education, but also reached out to the business community for a comprehensive discussion of private sector efforts in that area.

Ms. Spellings was the featured speaker at a conference on education reform organized by the Portuguese Forum for Freedom in Education (Forum para a Liberdade de Educação), where she spoke about U.S. education efforts at the federal level, focusing on the “No Child Left Behind Act.” The conference was held at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, a highly-respected, private foundation in Lisbon that supports the arts, charity, education and science. Over 130 people turned out for the three hour event; after an introduction by the Ambassador and presentations by Ms. Spellings and two prominent Portuguese commentators, a lively question and answer period followed.

Following the conference, Ambassador Stephenson invited panel participants and other high-level representatives from the education field to his residence to continue their discussion over lunch. Later that evening there was a separate dinner with the Portuguese Minister of Culture, and the following morning a breakfast with business leaders where the subject of private-public partnerships was discussed. Ms. Spellings also visited the U.S. Embassy for a briefing.

During her visit, Ms. Spellings gave two major interviews, one with a leading daily newspaper and the other with an important international affairs television program.