A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary
By TRIP GABRIEL
Published: September 1, 2010
PORTLAND, Me. — A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras.
Cheryl Senter for The New York Times
Education Secretary Arne Duncan after talking with school officials Tuesday in Manchester, N.H.
Cheryl Senter for The New York Times
Mr. Duncan during a round-table discussion with school officials, teachers and parents at a Manchester elementary school.
No, Education Secretary Arne Duncanis not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign.
Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized