EDITOR'S NOTE: The address for the school has been updated

On Thursday, May 25, 2023, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten will continue her “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” tour by visiting Oyster-Adams Bilingual School in Washington, D.C., to discuss how the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) can continue to promote academic excellence and prepare students for global competitiveness. Deputy Secretary Marten will visit Oyster-Adams Bilingual School to spend time learning about their approach to bilingual education as well as supporting student’s mental health and wellbeing. The stop will also include a roundtable discussion with students, parents, and teachers.

During the visit, Deputy Secretary Marten will make an announcement of the Department’s new “Free to Learn” initiative. This effort will assist in promoting positive, inclusive school climates, enhancing school safety, and preventing bullying and harassment. Free to Learn stems from the belief that all students learn, achieve their unique potential for success and thrive within schools that promote and ensure positive, safe, inclusive school climates both in person and online. The Department will launch a call to action and provide access to resources, webinars, and communities of practice to galvanize states, districts, schools, public health agencies, and local communities’ commitment to implement, and sustain evidence-based practices and policies that support school safety, positive, inclusive school environments and prevent harassment, bullying and hate so all students are free to learn.

The “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” tour kicked off in January, on the heels of U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s recent major address, “Raise the Bar: Lead the World,” where he laid out the U.S. Department of Education’s vision, his continued priorities to promote academic excellence and preparedness for global competitiveness, and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring states, school districts, and schools have the support they need to prepare students for the 21st century global economy. The tour will continue in other states, which will be announced at a later date.