U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education to Visit Georgia on “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” Tour

Archived Information

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education to Visit Georgia on “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” Tour

On Wednesday, May 10 and Thursday May 11, 2023, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten will continue her “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” tour by traveling to the Greater Atlanta area, to discuss how they can continue to promote academic excellence and prepare students for global competitiveness. Deputy Secretary Marten will visit the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, where she will spend time learning about how they use STEM education to accelerate learning and deliver comprehensive and rigorous education. The next day, she will visit two Gwinnett County Public Schools, Baldwin Elementary School and Paul Duke STEM High School, where she will experience their hands-on STEM learning, including multilingual STEM classes and career-connected learning. At this stop, the Deputy Secretary also will take part in a roundtable discussion with students, parents, and teachers.

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 later.

Who :

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten
Eulonda Washington, principal, Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Dr. Lisa Herring, superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
Dr. Matt Smith, chief performance officer, Atlanta Public Schools
Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy students, parents and teachers

What :

Tour of Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy

When :

Wednesday, May 10, 2023
12 p.m. EDT – Welcome and briefing from school leadership
12:35 p.m. EDT – Classroom visits
2:05 p.m. EDT – Parents, students, teacher small group discussions (closed to press)
3 p.m. EDT – Conclude
(Times subject to change

Where :

Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy
1190 Northwest Drive NW
Atlanta, Georgia


Who :

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten
Dr. Brenda F. Johnson, principal, Baldwin Elementary School
Dr. Calvin Watts, superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Dr. Reuben Gresham, cluster superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Dr. Al Taylor, chief of schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools
DeNelle West, chief learning officer, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Bernard Watson, director media & community relations, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Marisol Devarez, Spanish language community outreach liaison, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Tim Hemans, executive director of college and career development, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Dr. Jon Valentine, director of world languages & DLI, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Bonnie Brush, assistant superintendent of secondary education & enrichment, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Baldwin Elementary School students and teachers

What :

Tour of Baldwin Elementary School

When :

Thursday, May 11, 2023
9 a.m. EDT – Welcome and briefing from school leadership
9:20 a.m. EDT – STEM Classroom visits
10:20 a.m. EDT – Multi-lingual DLI Experience tour
10:50 a.m. EDT – Student and Teacher Panel
11:15 a.m. EDT – Conclude
(Times subject to change)

Where :

Baldwin Elementary
123 Price Place NW
Norcross, Georgia


Who :

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten
Dr. Jonathon Wetherington, principal, Paul Duke STEM High School
Dr. Calvin Watts, superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Dr. Reuben Gresham, cluster superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Dr. Al Taylor, chief of schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools
DeNelle West, chief learning officer, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Bernard Watson, director media & community relations, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Marisol Devarez, Spanish language community outreach liaison, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Tim Hemans, executive director of college and career development, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Bonnie Brush, assistant superintendent of secondary education & enrichment, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Paul Duke STEM High School students and teachers

What :

Tour of Paul Duke STEM High School

When :

Thursday, May 11, 2023
12:30 p.m. EDT – Welcome and briefing from school leadership
1 p.m. EDT – Classroom visits
2 p.m. EDT – Student and Teacher Panel
2:45 p.m. EDT – Briefing on Gwinnett County Public Schools’ pilot AI (Artificial Intelligence) Learning Framework for K-12 students

(Times subject to change)

Where :

Paul Duke STEM High School
5850 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Norcross, Georgia

Unless noted, these are all open press events. If you are interested in covering any of these events, please RSVP to pressRSVP@ed.gov.