U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday for a series of events to highlight local education reform efforts and discuss President Obama’s proposals for increasing access to high-quality learning opportunities for all students.
At 11 a.m., Secretary Duncan will join Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Knox County Schools Superintendent James P. McIntyre in visiting classrooms at West High School and hosting a roundtable discussion with local leaders, teachers and students about education reforms in recent years that have increased student performance. Secretary Duncan will also note President Obama’s State of the Union challenge to redesign America’s high schools so they better equip students for the demands of a high-tech economy. The conversation will be followed by a press availability.
That afternoon, Secretary Duncan will visit the University of Tennessee's Howard Baker Center for Public Policy to deliver remarks about President Obama's proposals to expand early learning opportunities for all children, as well as highlighting administration achievements to date. His address is part of the university’s Baker Distinguished Lecture Series. A press availability will follow.
Later, Secretary Duncan will join local teachers at Ritta Elementary School for a closed-door conversation about education reform with a press availability afterward.