U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona recently fielded questions from two very different audiences, both wanting answers about Department of Education policies and plans.
“I come to you today with a great sense of urgency,” Dr. Cardona said in his opening comments during a June 24 virtual hearing before the House Committee on Education and Labor. “Generations of inequity have left far too many students without equitable access to high-quality, inclusive learning opportunities, including in our rural communities. Sadly, this has become normalized. Education can be the great equalizer. … We must do more to level the playing field.”
Asked by Michigan Congressman Tim Walberg if he agreed that The 1619 Project is a curriculum taught in schools, Dr. Cardona said, “I don’t. We don’t get involved as a federal government in monitoring curriculum in schools. I think that’s a state responsibility, so I couldn’t answer whether or not it is being taught in schools.” Citing feedback from students, educators and parents, he added, “When students see themselves in the curriculum, they’re more likely to be engaged, and they’re more likely to feel comfortable and feel a sense of community.”
In a virtual event co-presented by Chalkbeat and The Education Trust that aired June 24, Dr. Cardona took questions from students across the country. Asked by Elizabeth Jaramillo, a high school senior in Detroit, about what’s necessary in order to identify all U.S. schools as sanctuary schools, Dr. Cardona said, “My hope, Elizabeth, is as we move forward, we ensure that not only do we have the resources, but we have the training and the capacity and the design for all schools to be safe places for all students where all of their needs can be met and schools can serve as a hub for their entire community. … That has to be our goal in every school across the country moving forward.”
Chalkbeat has more.