U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be in Bloomington and Minneapolis on Tuesday to discuss President Obama's proposal to expand funding for early learning programs.

First, Duncan will tour a classroom at Pond Early Childhood Center in Bloomington at 9 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., he will participate in a town hall discussion at Kennedy High School with Gov. Mark Dayton, Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius and other leaders. Duncan will be making remarks at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year conference at the Millennium Hotel in Minneapolis at noon.

Duncan's visit is part of a series of events aimed at bolstering support for the president's plan to increase federal funding for early education. Under the proposal, Minnesota would receive more than $38 million in the first year it participates in the "Preschool for All" program. This year, state legislators approved $40 million for early learning scholarships.

Kim mcguire

@stribkmcguire