Obama coming to J.C. Wright Middle School in Madison Wed. 11/04-closed to the public!

Obama Coming To Madison Middle School

President To Visit Madison Wednesday

Updated: 8:03 pm CDT October 30, 2009





MADISON, Wis. -- President Barack Obama's planned visit to Madison next week will include a stop at J.C Wright Middle School, according to White House officials.

Obama will meet with students, teachers, parents and others on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is traveling with the president and will be with him at the event. The White House said Obama's comments will be focused on strengthening America's education system.

The speech is closed to the public. Only invited guests will be allowed in, officials said.

The White House released details of the president's visit on Friday.

News about where the president was scheduled to speak first leaked on Friday morning. At a news conference about the Wisconsin Covenant at the Executive Residence on Friday, Gov. Jim Doyle told a Wright student, "I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, but Wright might have a very special visitor next week." In a question-and-answer session with reporters following the news conference, Doyle then declined to confirm Obama's speech would be located at Wright, saying only "no comment."


Embed CodeSave & ShareMore Videos
The governor said Obama's speech could be related to stimulus funding.

"I think he's going to come to talk about his vision of where he thinks education in the United States should be going, and he's really laid that out and put the money behind it with the 'Race to the Top,'" Doyle said.

Recently Doyle announced efforts to make Wisconsin more competitive for federal "Race to the Top" grants.

The state Legislature is considering a number of proposals designed to strengthen its chances of capturing part of $4.5 billion in federal education stimulus money.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.