DATE: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011.

EVENT: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will join a panel discussion at the University of Michigan. The public event will focus on promoting excellence in American classrooms, particularly for disadvantaged and underserved students.

The discussion will be moderated by Deborah Loewenberg Ball, dean of U-M’s School of Education. The U-M faculty panelists will include Peter Riley Bahr, Bob Bain, David K. Cohen, Annemarie Palincsar and Robert Sellers.

Duncan’s visit is part of his “Education and the Economy” bus tour Sept. 7-9 that includes stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.

MEDIA: Reporters planning to attend should RSVP by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 to: [email protected]. Secretary Duncan will be available to media for 10 minutes immediately following the event. The event will be webstreamed live Thursday (Sept. 8) at: http://ummedia10.rs.itd.umich.edu/flash/soe/soe.html.

Limited parking will be available for media at bagged meters in front of the School of Education on E. University Avenue. An audio multbox will be provided at the panel discussion.

LOCATION: Prechter Laboratory, Room 2202, School of Education, 610 E. University Ave., Ann Arbor. Map: http://www.soe.umich.edu/about/maps_and_directions/