President Obama will visit the Madison area next Wednesday to speak about education, the White House announced Tuesday, but it did not disclose any further details.

Obama's scheduled trip next week would coincide with the first anniversary of his election on Nov. 4, 2008, and be Obama's first visit to the area since a February 2008 campaign rally at the Kohl Center prior to the Democratic primary. Presidential candidate Obama was scheduled to return in late October 2008, but canceled a speech outside the Capitol to visit his ailing grandmother, who died a short time later, in Hawaii.

Government, political party and local education officials said they were surprised by the announcement and offered no additional information.

"All I know is that it has to do with education," said state Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate. "We'll wait to find out more. My guess is it's an official visit, so I don't know what type of role the party will have in it. But we're thrilled and excited the president's coming back to Wisconsin."

The news coincided Tuesday with Gov. Jim Doyle unveiling a bill that would establish mayoral control over Milwaukee Public Schools, eliminate tenure for MPS principals and other administrators, and create a Children's Zone that would integrate human, health and educational services for low-income children in Milwaukee.

Last week the governor promised additional reforms as well, such as overturning the state's ban on using student test scores to help evaluate teachers, a move that could improve the state's chances of winning a portion of $4.5 billion in "Race to the Top" stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Education.

State GOP executive director Mark Jefferson said Obama's visit appears designed to bolster a potential gubernatorial run by Milwaukee's Tom Barrett, a Democrat.

"It really appears that he (Obama) wants to talk education and try and give Tom Barrett a win over the MPS takeover as well," Jefferson said. "This looks to be the next phase in Jim Doyle and the White House's recruitment of Tom Barrett. They really appear set on deciding who the Democratic nominee for governor will be."

The Kohl Center and offices of school superintendents in Madison, Sun Prairie, Monona Grove and Middleton-Cross Plains said they had not been contacted by the White House regarding a presidential visit.

Spokespersons for the governor's office and the Department of Public Instruction similarly said they had no details beyond a White House press release stating that the president will "discuss strengthening America's education system."

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