U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will visit Maryland on Wednesday to highlight the progress that the state's schools and students have made through the hard work and leadership of parents, teachers, principals, as well as local and state officials.
He will visit two schools and then end his day with a speech about the importance of local and school-level leadership in continuing efforts to improve education. In his speech, Duncan will talk about the need to support states' efforts and expand investments, progress and opportunity for all children through reauthorizing a new Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Earlier in the day, Duncan and State Superintendent of Schools Lillian Lowery will visit classrooms at Ducketts Lane Elementary School and meet with teachers from there and Thomas Viaduct Middle Schools to hear how teaching and learning is changing during the transition to higher standards and how that has contributed to schools' and students' success in Maryland. The discussion with teachers will be streamed live on the Howard County Public School System website, www.hcpss.org.
Following that conversation, Duncan will join Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to visit Empowerment Academy, where they will meet with students and read to a class.
After the Secretary's speech at the final event, Duncan and University of Maryland, Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski will speak with an audience of students, teachers, principals, school district leaders and education stakeholders about the changes underway in Maryland's schools. They will also be joined by U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings and Baltimore County School District Superintendent Dallas Dance, who will both deliver brief remarks. A media availability will follow.