School & District Management

Duncan’s Bus Tour Visits Swing States

By Alyson Klein — September 13, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

On a week when President Barack Obama put his rhetorical and policy focus on jobs and the economy, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan helped spread the administration’s message with a bus tour on education and the economy that just happened to crisscross electorally important swing states.

Mr. Duncan’s first stop was Pittsburgh, where he chatted Sept. 7 with local labor leaders about the importance of collaboration. This has been a recurring theme for the Obama administration. Still, unions are vital to Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts, particularly in swing states such as Pennsylvania.

Mr. Duncan headed to Erie, Pa., later that day to tout the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund. U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., who is up for re-election in 2012 in this critical “purple” state, joined the discussion via Skype. Early-childhood education has been a signature issue for Mr. Casey.

And the secretary wrapped up the day in Ohio, another pivotal state, where he met with more local union officials. Ohio is also home to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, another Democrat up for re-election next year.

Mr. Duncan’s itinerary also included the purple states of Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin—all of which are hosting Senate contests in 2012.

The second-to-last stop was slated to be a Sept. 9 visit to the secretary’s hometown of Chicago. And, no, Illinois doesn’t have a hot Senate race, and it isn’t a swing state, the lone exception on his tour.

Mr. Duncan was scheduled to finish the trip with a Sept. 11 stop in yet another purple state—Virginia—which is expected to host a barn-burner of a Senate race in 2012, between George Allen, a Republican former senator and governor, and Tim Kaine, a Democratic former governor and close Obama ally. Mr. Duncan’s visit to Washington-Lee High School, in Arlington, was scheduled to focus on a talk with educators about how they coped with the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath.

It’s not new for an education secretary to hit the noncampaign trail at opportune moments. Mr. Duncan’s predecessor, Margaret Spellings, just happened to show up in swing districts bearing big checks for Teacher Incentive Fund grants in the weeks leading up to the 2006 midterm elections. (It didn’t help; Republicans lost big in congressional races anyway.)

A version of this article appeared in the September 14, 2011 edition of Education Week as Duncan’s Bus Tour Visits Swing States

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Women of Color Bring Special Strengths to the Superintendency, New Research Suggests
They have deep expertise in instructional leadership and a facility for working with stakeholders and managing thorny social issues.
4 min read
Image of diverse faces.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management 3 Principles to Help School and District Leaders Build Better Relationships With Teachers
Communication, capacity building, and a willingness to fail are key tenants of relationship-building, school and district leaders say.
2 min read
051223 Lead Sym Alyson 2 jb BS
Chris Ferenzi for Education Week
School & District Management This Principal Says It's Critical to Infuse Students' and Teachers' Days With Joy
Part of a school leader's role is to guard against outside distractions so teachers can focus on kids, says Salome Thomas-EL.
2 min read
051223 Lead Sym Caitlynn jb BS
Chris Ferenzi for Education Week
School & District Management Data Data: How Schools Respond to Student Hunger Over the Summer
The end of pandemic-era flexibility for schools and community organizations has translated into fewer students receiving free summer meals.
1 min read
Children enjoy lunches provided by the Brownsville Independent School District on June 8, 2016, at the Olivera Park gymnasium in Brownsville, Texas. The local school district provides free lunches to any child under 18 who needs a meal, regardless of their status as a student with the school district.
Children enjoy lunches provided by the Brownsville Independent School District on June 8, 2016, at the Olivera Park gymnasium in Brownsville, Texas. School districts and other organizations can sign up as summer meal sites to continue providing meals to students once school is out of session.
Jason Hoekema/The Brownsville Herald via AP