As part of the U.S. Department of Education’s third annual back-to-school bus tour, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will host a town hall with 700 stakeholders at the University of Nevada, Reno, where the discussion will focus on education issues impacting Hispanic Americans, college access and affordability, and the connection between education and jobs.
During the town hall, moderated by Univision’s Anya Arechiga, participants will examine recommendations concerning Latino postsecondary education from the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Secretary Duncan will offer brief remarks before opening up the session for questions.
Also participating in the discussion will be Marco Davis, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics; Gabriel Sandoval, senior advisor and director of policy for the Initiative; Marc Johnson, president of the University of Nevada, Reno; Daniel Klaich, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education; and Maria Sheehan, president of Truckee Meadows Community College. Hispanic community leaders, educators, parents, and students also will engage in the discussion.
Earlier on Sept. 12, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier will tour Truckee Meadows Community College, where she will host a roundtable discussion on adult education and career pathways.
On the third annual back-to-school bus tour, Secretary Duncan and his senior leaders are crisscrossing the country from Sept. 12-21, leading a series of events that reinforce the message that Education Drives America. Besides Reno, some of the other stops include Sacramento, Calif.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Salt Lake City; Denver; Topeka, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis; Evansville, Ind.; Lexington, Ky.; Charleston, W.Va.; Roanoke, Va.; Richmond, Va.; and Washington, D.C.
For live, up-to-the-minute updates from the road, follow the Education Drives America tour on Twitter using the hashtag, #edtour12, or visit the Department’s bus tour blog. To receive media advisories, press releases, notifications about postings to the blog, and other special updates during the tour, subscribe to the Department’s Education Drives America e-mail updates by clicking here.