SAUK RAPIDS

Sauk Rapids-Rice's Bittman to attend State of Union

Kirsti Marohn
kmarohn@stcloudtimes.com
Daniel Bittman

Sauk Rapids-Rice Superintendent Dan Bittman will attend President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Bittman was invited as a guest of U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, whose district includes Sauk Rapids.

Emmer spokeswoman Becky Alery said the invitation was extended because Bittman was named Minnesota's 2016 Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

"Dr. Bittman clearly is doing fantastic job helping to educate the youth in Central Minnesota and should be applauded for his efforts with the generation of tomorrow," Alery wrote in an email.

Bittman, reached by phone Thursday afternoon, said it was an honor to be invited.

"It was very much a surprise," he said. "I"m very humbled by the opportunity, for sure."

Bittman said he will fly to Washington on Monday evening and will return to Minnesota on Wednesday. The speech is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday.

While Obama could touch on education topics during his final State of the Union address, Bittman didn't specify anything in particular he's hoping to hear the president say.

"I just plan to learn as much as I can and take it all in," he said.

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