Secretary Duncan and Top Education Officials on 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour

As a part of the U.S. Department of Education's third annual back-to-school bus tour, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and top federal education officials will visit a number of cities across the country. They will participate in a series of events and community conversations to be held coast-to-coast to reinforce the message that Education Drives America.

The bus tour will begin in California’s Silicon Valley and conclude on the evening of Friday, Sept. 21 at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Additional stops include: Las Vegas, Reno, and Elko, Nevada; Salt Lake City; Rawlins, Rock Springs, and Cheyenne, Wyo.; Denver, Colorado Springs, and Limon, Colo.; Topeka and Emporia, Kan.; Columbia, St. Louis, and Kansas City, Mo.; Mt. Vernon, Ill.; Evansville, Ind.; Lexington, Ky.; Charleston and McDowell County, W.Va.; and Roanoke and Richmond, Va.

"America's future is directly linked to the quality of education that we provide our children, young people and adults," Duncan said. "It is the key to a vibrant middle class, strong national security and our global economic competitiveness. This bus tour is an opportunity to highlight what's working and create momentum for education reforms that improve the lives of all students."

More specific details about the bus tour stops will become available as the time for the events draws closer. 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.

The 2012 bus tour marks the third consecutive year Secretary Duncan and senior staff have promoted education on a back-to-school bus tour. In 2010, the tour included the Delta region in the South and the Northeast. In 2011, the tour covered the Midwest from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin.

Find out more—see the press releases for individual cities:

• Sept. 10-11—Las Vegas, Nev.
• Sept. 12—Redwood City, Calif.
• Sept. 12—Sacramento, Calif.
• Sept. 12—Reno, Nev.
• Sept. 12-14—Salt Lake City
• Sept. 13—Elko, Nev.
• Sept. 14—Cheyenne, Wyo.
• Sept. 13-14—Rock Springs & Rawlins, Wyo.
• Sept. 17—Denver, Colo.
• Sept. 17—Limon, Colo.
• Sept. 18—Topeka, Kan.
Sept. 18—Emporia, Kan.
• Sept. 18—Colorado Springs
• Sept. 19—Columbia, Mo.
• Sept. 19—Evansville, Ind.
• Sept. 19—Mount Vernon, Ill.
• Sept. 18-19—Kansas City, Mo.
• Sept. 19-20—St. Louis
• Sept. 20—Charleston & McDowell County, W.Va.
• Sept. 20-21—Lexington, Ky.
• Sept. 21—Roanoke, Va
• Sept. 21—Richmond, Va.
• Sept. 21—Washington, D.C.