U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will travel to the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday, May 1, for a series of events highlighting education reform efforts in California and across the country.
At 9 a.m., Duncan will join Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., to launch a nationwide effort to improve early education and close the opportunity gap. The event follows the February release of For Each and Every Child, a report by the Equity and Excellence Commission, comprised of 27 of the nation’s leading education experts. The Commission developed recommendations for improving teachers and curricula, mitigating the effects of poverty on students, and expanding early education, among other goals. There will be a media availability with Duncan and Honda immediately after the event, starting at approximately 10:25 a.m.
In the afternoon, Duncan will deliver remarks at the NewSchools Venture Fund Annual Summit and participate in a conversation led by Laurene Powell Jobs, a NewSchools Venture Fund board member and education advocate. This annual gathering brings together entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers to discuss how innovation can help transform education in underserved communities. Following Duncan’s remarks on the Obama administration’s second-term education agenda, he will participate in a question-and-answer session moderated by Powell Jobs. The event will be streamed live at: http://www.livestream.com/newschools.
Later in the afternoon, Duncan will visit 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and inspiring students’ creative and expository writing skills. The Secretary will tour the facility; meet with staff, volunteer tutors, and parents; and also sit down with K-12 students.