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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and civil rights leader Al Sharpton will join Education Secretary Arne Duncan on a tour of four cities to highlight the Obama administration's efforts to reform public education, spur innovation and discuss challenges facing America's school systems.

The trio's goal is to stimulate discussion and community engagement around issues of education reform starting in Philadelphia on Sept. 29 then to New Orleans on Nov. 3 and ending in Baltimore on Nov. 13. These sites were selected because of their geographic location and because they of their process on school reform.

"President Obama has shown real courage on the issue of charter schools. I strongly believe that when you can find common ground, we should be able to put other differences aside to achieve a common goal," said Gingrich.

Al Sharpton is a Baptist minister, civil rights leader and a radio talk show host who advocates for economic and educational equity through two organizations he founded, the National Action Network and the Education Equality Project. Newt Gingrich is a former speaker of the House of Representatives, author, history professor, political analyst and the founder of American Solutions, a tri-partisan grassroots action organization.