SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has named Michele L. Howard of Manhattan Beach to serve on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Liaison Team authorized by Assembly Bill 312 (Strom-Martin, Chapter 1020, Statutes of 2002).

The liaison team was established to make recommendations to the State Superintendent and the State Board of Education regarding the implementation of NCLB and its regulations. The team is composed of 15 members representing the diverse population of the state. Members serve without compensation for a term not to exceed two years.

Michele Howard is a third grade teacher at Pacific Elementary School in Manhattan Beach (Los Angeles County). She brings to this appointment extensive teaching experience in the elementary grades and is an expert in academics and after school programs. In 1995, she co-founded GiantStep Education, an after school enrichment program for children in grades kindergarten through eighth. She earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990, and was awarded her credential in 1993 from California State University, Los Angeles.

"I am extremely pleased that Michele has accepted this challenge to review the state's NCLB implementation proposals to help schools in need of improvement," said O'Connell. "She is widely respected for her excellent work in support of a high-quality, standards-based education designed to prepare our students to become successful and productive citizens."