At TechBoston, Obama To Introduce New Fed. Education Agency

President Obama visits Boston Tuesday to kick off a series of events around the country focused on what the White House calls a "shared responsibility for education."

Obama will be at TechBoston Academy in Dorchester to highlight a new federal agency that would use technology to improve education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the Advanced Research Project Agency for Education (ARPA ED) would be similar to DARPA — which develops technology for the military.

"ARPA ED will aggressively pursue technological breakthroughs that will transform educational technology and empower teaching and learning the way DARPA did and how that supported the development of the Internet, GPS and robotics," Duncan said.

"We believe the potential in the education space is amazing. Imagine if we could have a digital tutor that could help a student catch up two grade levels in a year," he said.

The president wants $90 million to fund the new agency next year.

Also Tuesday, Obama, Duncan and philanthropist Melinda Gates will outline public-private partnerships for education, similar to what's already in place at TechBoston Academy.

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