Assistant Secretary to Visit Washington State, Will Meet with University Officials, Teachers and Other Educators, Parents And St

U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana will visit the state of Washington, Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 1-2. She will hold a series of meetings to discuss teacher preparation programs under the Department's "Blueprint for Reform: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA);" the status of ESEA and the direction of the Administration; and to meet with teachers, students, district administrators, school board members and others.

At 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, at the Puget Sound Educational Service District in Renton, Wash., Meléndez de Santa Ana will meet with university officials from the University of Washington-Tacoma, Evergreen University, Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound to discuss the future of teacher preparation programs under a reauthorized ESEA. At 2 p.m., superintendents from the Puget Sound, Tacoma and Seattle areas will join her for a discussion on the ESEA reauthorization and ways in which the Department can better support districts in the state.

On Thursday, Sept. 2, Meléndez de Santa Ana will visit Lincoln High School to meet with students, teachers and other staff for a discussion on the Administration's education goals and reauthorization of ESEA. The school visit will get underway at 8 a.m. Later that morning at 9:30 a.m., Meléndez de Santa Ana will travel to Clover Park High School for a welcome back-to-school forum. She will welcome teachers, other staff and students to a new school year and discuss the Administration's education priorities. Katie Taylor, one of the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Ambassador Fellows and an educator at Clover Park High, and Congressman Adam Smith will join Meléndez de Santa Ana.