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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / Contacts: / Heidi May, Discovery Education
240-662-2661

DISCOVERY EDUCATION WELCOMES DR. KAREN M. BEERER AS VICE PRESIDENT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

Silver Spring, Md. (Jan. 16, 2013) – Discovery Education has named Dr. Karen M. Beerer vice president of professional development for Common Core State Standards. With more than 25 years of experience in education, both as a teacher and administrator, Dr. Beerer will develop and implement strategies to support Discovery Education’s school district partners in effectively integrating the Common Core State Standards into classroom instruction. She also will lead Discovery Education Common Core Academies, two-day professional development events for teachers and administrators focused on the new standards. The Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by 45 states, provide teachers and administrators a consistent framework for the knowledge and skills students need to be college and career ready.

“Karen’s leadership and expertise as a seasoned educator and administrator will be critical as we continue to support our partners with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards,” said Scott Kinney, senior vice president, Discovery Education. “Her passion for ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education will be a tremendous asset to Discovery Education and our school district partners across the country.”

Discovery Education Common Core Academies, led by Dr. Beerer, will kick off with sessions in the month of January at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa. The Academies are designed to provide teachers and administrators a better understanding of the key components of the Common Core State Standards, strategies for effectively integrating the standards into curriculum and instruction, and methods for aligning assessments to the standards.

Dr. Beerer joins Discovery Education from Boyertown Area School District, where she served as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment. She led the development and implementation of the district’s cyber program by introducing new technology into classrooms and providing ongoing professional development support to teachers and administrators. Dr. Beerer’s career also has included posts as supervisor of curriculum and federal programs and supervisor of staff development for Quakertown Community School District, principal of Quakertown Elementary School, and teacher at Neidig Elementary School.

Dr. Beerer holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Millersville University, a master’s degree in reading from Kutztown University and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Lehigh University.

For more information about the Discovery Education Common Core Academies, visit http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Common-Core-Academy/.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education transforms classrooms, empowers teachers and captivates students by providing high quality, dynamic, digital content for grades K-12 and community colleges. Powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital media, professional development, assessment tools and a passionate educator network to support districts in accelerating student achievement. Discovery Education services like Discovery Education streaming, Discovery Education Techbook™ and Discovery Education Higher Ed, are in more than half of all US schools and 35 countries around the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

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