UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY FOIA Service Center January 31, 2019 Kenneth Whittle Reporter MuckRock News DEPT MR 67860 411A Highland Ave Somerville, MA 02144-2516 RE: FOIA Request No. 19-00733-F Dear Kenneth Whittle: This letter is a final response to your request for information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, dated January 22, 2019 and received in this office on January 23, 2019. Your request was forwarded to the appropriate office to search for documents that may be responsive to your request. You requested the following: Any and all information, documents, list of participants, and memorandum, regarding the April 1998 meeting between US Secretary of State for Education, Richard Riley and Malta's Minister of Education and National Culture, Evarist Bartolo, as well as any and all information regarding the participant in the meeting, Dr. Joseph Mifsud, (Head of Department of Primary Education, Faculty of Education, University of Malta). Staff from the Office of the Secretary informed this office (FSC) that after a search of their files, they were unable to locate any documents that were responsive to your request. The responsive records that you seek are no longer in the custody of the Department. We suggest that you submit a FOIA request to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). You have the right to seek assistance and/or dispute resolution services from the Department’s FOIA Public Liaison or the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). The FOIA Public Liaison is responsible, among other duties, for assisting in the resolution of FOIA disputes. OGIS, which is outside the Department of Education, offers mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. Page 2 - Kenneth Whittle 19-00733-F They can be contacted by: Mail FOIA Public Liaison Office of Government Information Services Office of the Executive Secretariat National Archives and Records Administration U.S. Department of Education 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 2510 400 Maryland Ave., SW, LBJ 7C132 College Park, MD 20740-6001 Washington, DC 20202-4510 E-mail [email protected] [email protected] Phone 202-205-0733 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448 Fax 202-401-0920 202-741-5769 Lastly, you have the right to appeal this determination. You must submit any appeal within 90 calendar days after the date of this letter. Using the services described above does not affect your right, or the deadline, to pursue an appeal. An appeal must be in writing and must include a detailed statement of all legal and factual bases for the appeal; it should be accompanied by a copy of this letter, the initial letter of request, and any documentation that serves as evidence or supports the argument you wish the Department to consider in resolving your appeal. Appeals may be submitted using the on-line form available at www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/foia-appeal-form.pdf. Appeals can also be submitted by: E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 202-401-0920 Mail: Appeals Office Office of the Executive Secretariat U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, LBJ 7W106A Washington, DC 20202-4536 If you have any questions, please contact the FSC at (202) 401-8365 or via email at [email protected]. Sincerely, Elise Cook Elise Cook FOIA Analyst Office of the Executive Secretariat