Education secretary to speak at FFA convention

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will address the National FFA Organization's annual convention at 2 p.m. Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Duncan's appearance hasn't been added to the convention schedule on the FFA website but was announced in an e-mail from John White, the Education Department's deputy assistant secretary for rural outreach, to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. White says more than 14,000 are expected for the event at Conseco Fieldhouse, and Duncan "will discuss the importance of agricultural education for building 21st century skills, growing the economy and meeting President Obama's national goal to lead the world with the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020."

On Friday at 11 a.m., White will host a teacher roundtable with agriculture instructors at the Education Department's booth at the Indiana Convention Center. At 1:30 p.m., he will lead a focus group with teachers at the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel. Here's more on the FFA Convention.