U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will address the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 2014 Public Policy Conference during its Tri-Caucus Plenary: Rebuilding the Minority Middle Class on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., discussing the importance of equity in promoting educational excellence for all.
Secretary Duncan will highlight the Department's work to ensure equity in education and President Obama's My Brother's Keeper Initiative. Launched in February, the My Brother's Keeper Initiative seeks to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. The Secretary will also witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. The agreement is aimed at advancing President Obama's goal of America once again leading the world in college graduates by 2020 through key activities and tools created to support Hispanic students persist in college and enter the workforce, such as Graduate! Financial Aid Guide to Success and NextOpp.
Also appearing at the event will be U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro; U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4), co-chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus; and Alejandra Ceja, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
On Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. ET, Libby Doggett, deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning at the U.S. Department of Education, will participate in a panel discussion at the conference on the value of providing universal prekindergarten education.