Department of Education Senior Officials to Visit Great Basin College in Elko, 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 Thursday, Sept. 13, Deb Delisle, assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, and William Mendoza, director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, will visit Great Basin College in Elko, Nev., where they will participate in roundtable discussions examining issues related to American Indian and Alaska Native students.

The first roundtable at Great Basin College will include an array of stakeholders, such as Nevada tribes, state education officials, institutions of higher education, representatives from Title VII and Title VIII school grantees, teachers, parents, community members and students. Among the panelists will be Sherry Rupert, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission; James W. Guthrie, Nevada superintendent of education; Gerald Temoke, chairman of the Elko Band of Indians; and Mike McFarlane, vice president of academic affairs for Great Basin College. Panelists and attendees will have an opportunity for networking and Q&A.

The second discussion will focus on Title VII and Impact Aid. Panelists and attendees will have an opportunity for networking and Q&A here as well.

Secretary Duncan and his senior leadership team will crisscross the country from Sept. 12-21 for a series of events highlighting the message that Education Drives America. Besides the visit to Elko, some of the other stops include Sacramento, Calif.; Reno, Nev.; Salt Lake City; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Denver; Topeka, Kan.; 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.