Joyce Rumsfeld

Joyce Rumsfeld was born in Billings, Montana and after moves to Fargo, N.D., Minneapolis, and Milwaukee she ended up in the Chicago area. She graduated from New Trier High School where she and her husband, Don Rumsfeld, were classmates. She received a B.A. in Art History from the University of Colorado in 1954. Mrs. Rumsfeld was the founder of the Chicago Foundation for Education (CFE) in 1985 and served as chairman of its board of directors for thirteen years. The foundation is dedicated to enhancing the education of children in the Chicago public elementary schools. In the last 25 years, CFE has invested more than 5.5 million dollars in the Chicago Public Schools, impacting nearly 30,000 teachers and more than 1 million students. From the beginning, the foundation has emphasized support for character education curriculum, which seeks to integrate teaching practices that encourage responsible decision-making and the need for teamwork, respect and tolerance in the classroom. This year the Chicago Foundation for Education will be hosting the 22nd Annual Teachers as Leaders and Learners Workshop, bringing together hundreds of teachers for a day of inspiration, collegiality, networking and sharing of effective teaching practices. Mrs. Rumsfeld has served on the Big Shoulders Program at the Archdiocese of Chicago, the National Advisory Council of Character Education Partnership, Inc, and the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education. She also served on the Board of Visitors and Governors at St. John's College for 12 years. In honor of her work with members of the U.S. military and their families, on December 15, 2006, Mrs. Rumsfeld was awarded the Department of Defense's Distinguished Public Service Award.