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Data Secretary Cardona Lays Out Vision for Education in America
                                                          Archived InformationSecretary Cardona Lays Out Vision for Education in America
In major address, Secretary Cardona discusses his priorities for continued recovery through the pandemic and improving America’s education system more broadly
January 27, 2022
**Contact:** Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov
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In a major address at the Department of Education, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona laid out his vision for continued recovery through the pandemic and his priorities for broader investments in America's education system to ensure all students can succeed and thrive. During the address, Secretary Cardona discussed key strategies the Department, schools, and colleges and universities must take to help students, educators, and school communities – from preschool through postsecondary education – continue to recover from the pandemic and address inequities that have long existed in our education system.

"Reopening schools—and keeping them open—while critical, is insufficient.  Our hardest and most important work lies ahead," said Secretary Cardona in the address. "Our students' success is at stake.  Not just the students we serve today, but for those who have yet to be born. Our task is not only to improve our education system from where it was before the pandemic, but also to take bolder action to elevate it to lead the world."
  
During his remarks, Secretary Cardona underscored the work the Biden-Harris Administration has done to help nearly all schools reopen for in-person learning over the last year. When President Biden assumed office, just 46% of America's schools were open full-time in person. Today, 96% are open. Because of the American Rescue Plan, guidance from the Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expanded access to tests and testing resources, and the hard work of educators, families, district leaders, and school communities, America's students have returned to classrooms across the country. And while the Department continues to focus on keeping schools open, it is also focused on strategies to help students make up for lost instructional time, access the mental health supports they need, invest in our educators, and make improvements in our education system to address inequities that existed long before the pandemic. Secretary Cardona laid out how the American Rescue Plan is supporting these efforts now, and how additional investments in our education system can make even greater improvements in our schools and communities. The Secretary also discussed strategies to improve America's postsecondary education system, including creating stronger through-lines between P12 and higher education systems, making postsecondary education more affordable, and putting students and families first in all the Department of Education's work.
  
Secretary Cardona laid out key actions in four priority areas that will guide the Department's work over the coming months and years:
  
Support students through      pandemic response and recovery.
  Engaging families as core       partners to educators
    Addressing missed instruction       through intensive tutoring, extended learning time, and other       evidence-based practices
    Increasing access to social,       emotional, and mental health supports for all students
    Encouraging       every student to participate in at least one extracurricular activityBoldly address opportunity and      achievement gaps.
  Increasing funding for Title I       schools and for IDEA in order to close gaps in access to educational       opportunity
    Providing every family the       opportunity to start on a level playing field through free, universal       pre-K and affordable high-quality child care
    Investing in, recruiting, and       supporting the professional development of a diverse educator workforce,       including special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and bilingual       educators so education jobs are ones that people from all backgrounds       want to pursue
    Challenging       states and districts to fix broken systems that may perpetuate inequities       in our schoolsMake higher education more      inclusive and affordable.
  Providing targeted loan relief       to student borrowers
    Holding colleges and       universities accountable for taking advantage of borrowers
    Ensuring borrowers have loan       payment options that reflect their economic circumstances
    Making       long term improvements to programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness       and creating a strong Gainful Employment Rule so career programs aren't       leaving students with mountains of debt and without good job       opportunitiesEnsure pathways through higher      education lead to successful careers.
  Reimagining the connection       between p-12, higher education, and workforce
    Collaborating with the       Department of Labor and Department of Commerce to invest in career       preparation programs that meet the needs of today's economy
    Prioritizing grant programs       that allow students to return to higher education or pursue career and       technical education programs at any point in their lives and careers
    Investing in colleges and       universities that serve underrepresented groups and increase access to       and funding for programs like Pell GrantsTo view a transcript of Secretary Cardona's remarks, visit https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/priorities-speech
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