Earlier today, Secretary Arne Duncan announced ED’s third back-to-school bus tour. The tour, themed Education Drives America, will take Duncan and senior ED leaders across the country, with stops in the following cities:
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Secretary Duncan in Pittsburgh kicking off last year's back-to-school bus tour. Official Department of Education Photo by Leslie Williams
Redwood City, Calif.
- Sacramento, Calif.
- Reno, Nev.
- Elko, Nev.
- Salt Lake City
- Rawlins, Wyo.
- Rock Springs, Wyo.
- Cheyenne
- Denver
- Limon, Colo.
- Topeka, Kan.
- Emporia, Kan.
- Kansas City, Mo.
- Columbia, Mo.
- St. Louis
- Mt. Vernon, Ill.
- Evansville, Ind.
- Lexington, Ky.
- Charleston, W.Va.
- McDowell County, W.Va.
- Roanoke, Va.
- Richmond, Va.
- Washington, DC
The tour will highlight education successes and bring communities together to talk about P-12 school reform, college affordability and the link between education and jobs.
Last year’s tour took ED through the Midwest, and in 2010 Duncan and staff visited the South and the Northeast.
Secretary Duncan will lead the tour from Redwood City through Reno, Denver through Kansas City, and Charleston through Washington. Deputy Secretary Tony Miller and Under Secretary Martha Kanter will also lead portions of the tour.
More details on each stop will be announced in the coming weeks. To receive updates about the tour, SIGN UP for our Education Drives America email list.
Cameron Brenchley is Director of Digital Engagement
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Are there any plans for a webcast? or any other ways of participating? or benefiting from this info? — without being in attendance.
There are no stops scheduled in our state (Oregon) or nearby. We are also strictly limited by our Title VII budget to (1) outreach (face-to-face, primarily) with students and/or their guardians and (2) person-to-person direct services to students and/or their guardians. Their is no ‘extra’ money left in our grants for distant travel and very little (about 4 hrs) of professional development for the year.
Please take advantage of all of the free/low-cost technology out there to facilitate our participation and benefit from the bus tour.
Mahsie ~ Thank you,
Jeff Mokst’Leloos Painter
Indian Ed Facilitator, SOESD/S.O. Indian Education Consortium
Jackson & Josephine county school districts, Oregon
Jeff – thanks for your comment. We will be streaming parts of the tour. Later this week I’ll be posting more information on which events will be streamed and how to tune in. We will also be using Twitter throughout the tour to connect via the #edtour12 hashtag.
Cameron Brenchley
Office of Communications and Outreach
Too bad that summer needs to end…I really enjoy having school tours. But its a good thing to see my friends once again. I really appreciate this back-to-school bus tour sponsored by the government. See you summer soon
I hope that all of the educators around Kentucky will make an effort to get to Frankfort for our stop over day. It will be exciting to be part of the success! Many teachers don’t realize the power of networking with your department and with other educators. Those of us who care about altering education in our country hope that you will make your visit public using the state media outlets.
When and where is the layover in Frankfort? I’ll be down for the Lexington stop and If you also have details about the Berea discussions, please share…
Glad Denver is one of the stops! Welcome Secretary Duncan! I’ll wait to see where he’ll be!
When will you be in Columbia, MO?
Is there a scheduled stop in St Louis?
Eric – The Secretary doesn’t have scheduled stops in St. Louis on this trip, but the bus will be stopping there. Secretary Duncan has made it to St. Louis several times, with the latest trip taking place in June at Vashon High School. Read about it here.
Cameron Brenchley
Office of Communications and Outreach
*A correction was made to the comment on 8/22 to clarify that the bus is stopping in St. Louis.
We’re excited you’re coming to West Virginia!
Secretary Duncan: Thanks you so much for this tour. It provides the opportunity for communities to add a voice to education. Additionally, I noticed that one of the tours stops is in McDowell County, WV. I cannot express my gratitude enough for your stop there. My only hope is that I can be there. Mr Duncan, I call McDowell County “home.” It is an area populated by hard working families who have faith in God and believe in a system that is on the brink of failure for them. Not just in education—but in economic stability and local, state and global growth. In 2000 and again in 2002 floods ravaged our home removing homes, businesses and families. Since that time, minimal investment has been made to restore stable and quality housing for our families. The education system of that area needs more. They need more resources for the students to have a high quality education. They need more innovations in teacher professional development and more innovative strategies for education. The students deserve early college opportunities, wraparound education such as Diplomas Now. The students both need and deserve these resources. I pray that you’ll use this stop as a real opportunity to hear the voices of McDowell Countians. So many of us wanted to go back home following graduation from college. However, other than highway infrastructure, logging and mountain top removal, the salaries wouldn’t even empower us to pay off our student loans. Again, since it’s likely that I will be unable to trek from Ohio home for your visit, I want to thank you. However, with this stop comes great responsibility. I’d like to encourage you to not forget my families and great educators from McDowell County. They deserve adequate resources in education to empower students to compete in the global economy. Thanks again, Secretary Duncan. Mt View High School Class of 1996 Graduate
Sabrina – thank you for your thoughtful comment. I am passing it along.
Cameron Brenchley
Office of Communications and Outreach
Hello Mr Duncan, i was wondering why didnt you pick as one of your stops in New York. It would be very nice if you came & we can get our voices heard. Please take this into consideration! Brooklyn, New York. Thanks
Thanks for coming to work!
WHEN is Arne in Salt Lake City? Or anywhere else, for that matter?
Debra – details on the schedule will be rolled out over the next couple of weeks. If you’d like updates to your inbox, sign up for the our bus tour update email list (in the blog above).
Cameron Brenchley
Office of Communications and Outreach