U.S. Education Chief to Honor Reading Schools for Excellence

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is coming to Reading.

He will visit the Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School on Wednesday for a roundtable discussion. Duncan is scheduled to visit several other schools, including Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury, Worcester Technical High School in Worcester, and Match Charter Public High School in Boston during a two-day visit to the Bay State.

"Secretary Duncan has chosen Reading as one of the places he is visiting while in Massachusetts because of Reading’s leadership with several state initiatives and its commitment to prepare students for college and career readiness," Reading school officials said in a statement. "These initiatives include our emphasis on the literacy and mathematics curriculum frameworks, educator collaboration in the development of district determined measures, the educator evaluation process, elementary standards-based report cards, technology integration, and a focus on 21st century skills ... We look forward to engaging in a meaningful dialogue that will benefit all educators and students, and we are honored to be hosting such an important opportunity for our district, our state, and our nation."