U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan launched the Department of Education's "Honoring America's Teachers" bus tour on the steps of historic Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.

Duncan noted that today Central  High School is among the best high schools in the country, "but nobody is complacent about their success. I love the hunger here," he said and explained that the country as a whole needs to exhibit this kind of dedication to education.

He stressed the need for every child to complete high school in order to succeed in today's tough economy, citing a nationwide average dropout rate of 25% - and up to 50% among African American and Latino students. "We have to do much better," he said. "The only way to get there is to elevate the teaching profession. We have to shine a spotlight on their hard work."

Duncan also spoke Wednesday evening at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock as a part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series. He praised Arkansas for its progress and forward-thinking in several areas of education, including the adoption of Common Core Standards, expansion of student access to advanced courses, and its use of data. Arkansas is "one of the few states with all 10 of the essential elements identified by the Data Quality Campaign," he said.

During the evening lecture, he touched on a variety of topics that concern educators, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, accountability for school performance, closing the achievement gap, public charter schools, Race to the Top, teacher training and recruitment, teacher evaluation and teacher compensation.

The weeklong bus tour throughout the southeastern states will provide Duncan with opportunities to meet with teachers and hear their thoughts on public education. Joining him on the tour are several public school teachers who are spending a year at the Department of Education to help shape policy and serve as resources to their colleagues in the classroom.

The lecture series is presented in partnership by the William J. Clinton Foundation, University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and AT&T.