When President Obama appears at TechBoston Academy later today as part of the White House’s “education month,” he plans to tout his administration’s $90 million plan to create a new education research initiative modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the government agency that helped create the Internet and the stealth fighter.

To get up to speed on the administration’s proposal, read my colleague Sarah Sparks’ coverage from last month. UPDATE: And read her blog item from today here.

But before you get too excited, consider that Congress is in a cutting mood, not a creating-new-programs mood. That said, it will be interesting to see how Obama can sell an idea that goes by the acronym ARPA-ED to a school-age audience, and whether he can make the need for education R&D resonate with the general public.

Last week, Obama talked up school turnarounds at Miami Central Senior High School.