Michigan Educator Named America Achieves Fellow, Participates in Detroit Education Nation Summit

Concetta Lewis, director of special education at the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan and a Detroit special education teacher, was selected for outstanding performance as part of a group of 100 educators nationwide to take part in the highly selective America Achieves Fellowship for Teachers and Principals. As part of the Fellowship, Lewis participated in the NBC News Detroit Education Nation Summit, held March 22 to 29, to discuss the state of education in Detroit and to help explore solutions and opportunities in education today. 

“We searched for the best educators in the nation to recognize as America Achieves Fellows and to expand their influence on educational policy and practice,” says Jon Schnur, executive chairman and co-founder of America Achieves. “This Fellowship Program enables outstanding educators like Concetta to help improve education in their school districts and across the country.” 

America Achieves is a not-for-profit with several initiatives including its Fellowship Program and is supported with lead funding by Bloomberg Philanthropies and funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The organization was launched in 2010 as part of the inaugural NBC News Education Nation Summit. 

The America Achieves Fellowship Program helps communities and states leverage policy, practice, and leadership to build high quality educational systems. Fellows participate in nationally significant projects throughout the year to impact students, schools, and national educational policy and to help prepare students for success in careers, college, and citizenship. Fellows are selected based on their impact on student achievement, the quality of their classroom and school leadership, and their commitment to learning and sharing their expertise.  

“Educators have a responsibility to ensure that every student finds appropriate success within the parameters of our education system,” says Lewis. “Summits like Education Nation help us to explore what is currently happening in education today so as school leaders we make decisions based on what is best for students, our city, and our education system as a whole. This is a giant step forward in guaranteeing all students a high-quality education – and most importantly, a better future.”