U.S. education secretary to visit Chattanooga

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will travel to Chattanooga next week as part of his fifth annual Back-to-School Bus Tour.

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that Duncan's "Partners in Progress" trip will include stops in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, all of which will highlight the states' commitment to educational reform and innovation.

Duncan will travel to Chattanooga on Tuesday, though details of his stop here haven't been released.

On Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama will meet Duncan at Atlanta's Booker T. Washington High School, which opened in 1924 as the first public high school for blacks in Georgia. It counts Dr. Martin L. King Jr. among its graduates. The First Lady and Duncan are expected to deliver remarks at a "prep rally," as part of Obama's Reach Higher inititative, which aims to increase college access and opportunity for all students.

Duncan will then travel to Carrollton, Ga. for a 5 p.m. event showcasing the Southwire Company's 12 for Life program. Southwire, which manufactures wire and cable used in the transmission of electricity, has partnered with the Carroll County School System to place at-risk students in jobs at Southwire, allowing them to earn wages while working toward a diploma.

On Tuesday, Duncan will hold events in Birmingham and Huntsville before stopping in Chattanooga. He will conclude the tour with events in Nashville and Memphis.

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