Carol Lyons oversees the Fund for the Improvement of Education which supports programs of national significance through grants to state and local education agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations and other public and private entities that have been identified by the Congress in appropriations legislation. Ms. Lyons has over 30 years experience working with discretionary grant and contract programs at the Department. She has served as a program officer for art education programs, field initiated studies, library literacy programs, and several ERIC clearinghouses. Ms. Lyons has also worked on several Department grant initiatives including a redesign of the Department's grant. She has a master's of public administration degree from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in English Education from the University of Virginia.