U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Senior Department Officials to Visit Reno, Nev., as Part of 2012 Cross-Country Back-To-School Bus Tour Promoting Education

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.

"America's future is directly linked to the quality of education that we provide our children, young people and adults," said Secretary Duncan, who will begin the tour earlier on Sept. 12 in Redwood City, Calif. "It is the key to a vibrant middle class, strong national security and our global economic competitiveness."

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.

Secretary Duncan will kick off the town hall at the University of Nevada, Reno, with Univision's Anya Arechiga, who will moderate the discussion. During the town hall, 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 adviser 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 previous day, Tuesday, Sept. 11, Dann-Messier will tour Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nev., and engage in a discussion with students and faculty on adult literacy and language programs.

More specific details about the bus tour stop in and around Reno, Nev., 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 by clicking here.