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>>> JOE BIDEN WAS ELECTED ON A
PLT FORM OF GETTING THE VIRUS
UNDER CONTROL, CHIEFLY GETTING
THE COUNTRY VACCINATED AND PART
OF THAT WAS GETTING KIDS BACK IN
SCHOOL SAFELY.
THAT LAST ONE HAS BECOME A PATCH
WORK OF MANY COMPLEX LOCAL
PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS.
THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN
SOME STRONG STEPS TO TRY TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN.
THEY CALLED ON STATES TO
PRIORITIZE VACCINES FOR
TEACHERS.
$10 BILLION GOING TO HELP
DISTRICTS MANAGE THE COST OF
TESTING AND A $130 BILLION FROM
THAT COVID RELIEF PACKAGE AIMED
DIRECTLY AT GETTING K THROUGH 12
SCHOOLS TO REOPEN.
TODAY PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCED
THAT 81 BILLION OF THOSE DOLLARS
WILL BE RELEASED TO SCHOOLS
IMMEDIATELY.
THE PRESIDENT’S GOAL IS TO OPEN
THE MAJORITY OF K THROUGH 8
SCHOOLS WITHIN HIS FIRST 100
DAYS OF OFFICE.
TODAY 63 DAYS IN, HOW CLOSE IS
HE TO CHAECHGACHIEVING THAT GOAL
THE PERSON MOST SUITED TO ANSWER
THAT IS THE NEW SECRETARY OF
EDUCATION, MIGUEL CARDONA, AND
HE JOINS ME NOW.
IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE
SHOW, SECRETARY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING
TIME.
LET’S START WITH WHERE THINGS
ARE BECAUSE ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES WE’VE HAD THROUGHOUT
THE PANDEMIC IS DATA.
DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
KNOW HOW MANY KIDS ARE IN
SCHOOL, HOW MANY ARE IN
PART-TIME SCHOOL, HOW MANY ARE
IN REMOTE SCHOOL, JUST AS A WAY
OF STARTING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
TARGETS YOU WANT TO HIT?
>> YES, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
YES, WE KNOW THAT 76% OF THE
STUDENTS IN PRE-K THROUGH 8 ARE
AT LEAST HYBRID.
45% ARE FULL IN PERSON IN SCHOOL
AS OF NOW, BUT WE HAVE A WAYS TO
GO.
>> SO YOU GOT 45% FULL-TIME IN
THE SCHOOL.
WHAT IS -- ARE THERE GOALS ABOUT
WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IN
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IN TERMS OF
NUMBERS?
>> YOU KNOW, CHRIS, REALLY, I
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS
TO REENGAGE IN IN-PERSON
LEARNING THIS SPRING.
YOU KNOW, IF WE’RE PRIORITIZING
VACCINATIONS, WE’RE FOLLOWING
THOSE MITIGATION STRATEGIES,
WHERE NOW THERE’S $10 BILLION
FOR SURVEILLANCE TESTING, AND WE
KNOW BASE ONDD ON WHAT WE’VE SEE
THAT SCHOOLS CAN BE SAFE IF THE
MITIGATION STRATEGIES ARE
FOLLOWED, WE CAN DO IT, AND I
REALLY WANT US TO TRY TO FOR
100%.
I’M PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS
THAT WE’RE MAKING NOW.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KEEP OUR
FOOT ON THE GAS.
>> THERE HAS BEEN AN ARGUMENT
THAT SOME HAVE MADE, REPUBLICANS
AND CONSERVATIVES THOUGH NOT
EXCLUSIVELY THEM, THAT TEACHERS
UNIONS HAVE BEEN OVERLY
CAUTIOUS, OVERLY WORRIED ABOUT
TRANSMISSION IN SCHOOLS AND HAVE
BEEN A CHIEF OBSTACLE TO GETTING
BACK TO IN-PERSON LEARNING.
YOU’RE AN EDUCATOR YOURSELF AND
HAVE BEEN.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT
CRITIQUE?
>> LISTEN, TEACHERS HAVE BENT
OVER BACKWARDS SINCE MARCH OF
LAST YEAR, AND MY WORK IN
CONNECTICUT AS COMMISSIONER, I
PARTNERED WITH EDUCATORS TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE CAN DO IT SAFELY.
100% OF THE DISTRICTS IN
CONNECTICUT OFFER IN-PERSON
LEARNING BECAUSE OF THAT
PARTNERSHIP.
ALL EDUCATORS WANT CHILDREN IN
SCHOOL.
THEY JUST WANT IT DONE SAFELY.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN -- I
MEAN, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS
HAS SENTIMENT CHANGED, RIGHT?
LOOK, THE VIRUS IS SCARY.
SCHOOLS AS WE KNOW, AS ANY
PARENT WHO GOES THROUGH COLD AND
FLU SEASON KNOWS, VERY
TRANSMISSIBLE, AT THE SAME TIME,
A LOT OF DATA HAS SUGGESTED THAT
THE LEVELS OF TRANSMISSION ARE
NOT WHAT YOU’D EXPECT.
THERE HAVE NOT BEEN HUGE LOCUSTS
OF OUTBREAKS, BUT YET, PEOPLE
ARE WORRIED.
HOW MUCH SENSE DO YOU HAVE OF
HOW TEACHERS’ SENTIMENT HAS
SHIFTED AND EVOLVED AND HOW MUCH
VACCINE ACCESS HAS CHANGED THAT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL,
WE HAD -- IT ALWAYS HELPS TO
HAVE A TEACHER IN THE WHITE
HOUSE BECAUSE EDUCATORS ARE
BEING ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THE WORK
THAT THEY’RE DOING AND
VACCINATION PRIORITIZATION FOR
EDUCATION, FOR EDUCATORS IS
SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT LED
WITH.
PROVIDING THE FUNDING TO MAKE
SURE THAT SCHOOLS HAVE SUPPLIES
FOR PPE, BUT WHATEVER SAFEGUARDS
ARE NEEDED TO SAFELY REENTER THE
SCHOOL.
AND YOU KNOW, THE EMPHASIS ON
THOSE MITIGATION STRATEGIES, ALL
THOSE THINGS ARE HELPING BUILD
THAT LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT WE
COULD DO IT AND WE COULD DO IT
SAFELY.
I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH IT.
>> DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO
DO -- WHAT WERE YOUR
INTERACTIONS LIKE WITH CDC OVER
THE THREE FOOT GUIDANCE THEY PUT
OUT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION
ABOUT THAT.
OBVIOUSLY MAKES A BIG DEAL TO
CHANGE THAT.
SCHOOLS DON’T HAVE A HUGE
SURFACE SPACE, ANTHONY FAUCI
SAID THAT WAS ENTIRELY A DATA
DRIVEN DECISION.
DO YOU LIAISON WITH CDC?
DID YOU GET A HEADS-UP?
WHAT IS THAT LIKE?
>> WE FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION BEFORE,
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS.
WE FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND WE
IMPLEMENT SAFELY BASED ON THOSE
GUIDELINES.
AND I’LL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW,
FROM LAST MARCH UNTIL NOW, ONE
OF THE THINGS IN THOSE DISTRICTS
THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL, AND WE JUST
MANY A SUMMIT TODAY, AND WE
HEARD SUCCESS STORIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A
THROUGH LINE IS THE RELIANCE ON
HEALTH AND SAFETY DATA FIRST.
THIS IS A HEALTH PANDEMIC, SO
ENSURING HEALTH AND SAFETY AS A
PRIORITY WILL ALWAYS DRIVE OUR
REOPENING EFFORTS.
>> THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF
COVERAGE OF THE EMERGING
LITERATURE AND STUDIES OF THE
EFFECTS OF THIS PAST YEAR,
UNLIKE ANY SCHOOL YEAR I THINK
IN RECENT MEMORY IT’S SAFE TO
SAY, AND THE EFFECTS OF REMOTE
LEARNING, PARTICULARLY REMOTE
ONLY LEARNING AND PARTICULARLY
ALONG LINES OF RACE AND CLASS IN
TERMS OF EQUITY.
WHAT IS YOUR SENSE, YOUR
CHARACTERIZATION, YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE
LITERATURE AND THE DATA ARE
SAYING ABOUT WHAT THE EFFECTS OF
A YEAR OF REMOTE SCHOOLING HAVE
BEEN LIKE?
ZBLP YOU KNOW
>> YOU KNOW, IT DOESN’T TAKE --
WE DON’T HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
RESEARCH.
AS PARENT WE ARE, I KNOW YOU
HAVE LITTLE ONES, YOU CAN TELL
THE EXACT IT HAS NOT TO BE
AROUND THEIR FRIENDS, NOT TO BE
AROUND THEIR TEACHERS IN PERSON,
AND YOU CAN ONLY LOOK AT A
SCREEN FOR SO LONG, ESPECIALLY
IF YOU’RE AN ELEMENTARY AGED
STUDENT.
WE KNOW THERE ARE EFFECTS.
THAT’S WHY WITH THE RESCUE PLAN,
THERE ARE FUNDS THERE TO PROVIDE
GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS,
SUMMER EXPERIENCES AND MAKING
SURE THAT WHEN THE STUDENTS DO
COME BACK TO SCHOOL, WE’RE
PREPARED TO MEET THEM WITH WHAT
THEIR CHALLENGES WERE AND WHAT
THEIR NEEDS ARE, AND MAKE SURE
THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE DESIGNED
BETTER THAN THEY WERE LAST MARCH
TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR
STUDENTS, WHICH, AS YOU SAID ARE
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY THIS
PANDEMIC.
>> THERE HAS BEEN SOME
CONTROVERSY AROUND OR SOME
DEBATE AROUND STANDARDIZED
TESTING THIS YEAR, FOR
UNDERSTANDABLE REASONS.
ARGUMENTS GO IN BOTH DIRECTIONS,
RIGHT?
ONE IS YOU WANT TO HAVE A GUIDE
POST TO MEASURE PRESTOOISLY THE
EFFECTS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.
THE OTHER IS IT SEEMS INSANE TO
SUBJECT CHILDREN TO STANDARDIZED
TESTING.
500 RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS
WROTE A LETTER TO YOU BASICALLY
SAYING DON’T FORCE SCHOOLS TO
GIVE STANDARDIZED TESTS THIS
PANDEMIC YEAR, THAT IT MADE NO
SENSE.
IT WOULD EXACERBATE INEQUALITY
AND PRODUCE FLAWED DATA.
THERE WILL BE STANDARDIZED
TESTING.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT’S A GOOD
IDEA?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANALOGOUS
TO THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT
LEADERS HAD TO MAKE LAST JULY
WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT REOPENING
SCHOOLS.
WE KNOW THERE’S NO ONE SIZE FITS
ALL.
WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT
REOPENING SCHOOLS, WE HAD VERY
SMALL SCHOOLS, AND WE HAD VERY
LARGE SCHOOLS, AND STATES THAT
HAD HIGH NUMBERS AND STATES THAT
HAD VERY LOW NUMBERS OF COVID.
SO THERE’S NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
SO THE FLEXIBILITIES THAT WERE
ANNOUNCED BY THE DEPARTMENT LAST
MONTH ALLOWED FOR SOME OF THAT
VARIANCE, BUT LET ME TELL YOU
VERY CLEARLY THAT WHEN WE’RE
PUSHING OUT $130 BILLION, STATE
LEVEL DATA NOT NECESSARILY
CLASSROOM DATA BECAUSE TEACHERS
KNOW WHERE THEIR KIDS ARE.
THAT STATE LEVEL DATA IS GOING
TO ENSURE WE’RE P
FUNDS TO THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE
IMPACTED THE MOST BY THE
PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY FOCUSED ON
ADDRESSING THE ACHIEVEMENT
DISPARITIES, OPPORTUNITY GAPS
THAT WERE EXACERBATED BY THIS,
AND THOSE DATA DO HELP MAKE SURE
WE’RE MOVING THE MONEY AND THE
POLICIES TO THOSE STUDENTS THAT
WERE AFFECTED THE MOST, STUDENTS
OF COLOR, STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES WHOSE IMPACT BY
THIS PANDEMIC WERE GREATER THAN
MANY OTHERS.
>> YOUR ANTICIPATION FOR THE
FALL, I SAW AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT
GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY OF NEW
JERSEY JUST ANNOUNCED HE WILL
NOT ALLOW REMOTE EDUCATION IN
THE FALL.
WE KNOW PARENTS ARE WORRIED.
WE DON’T KNOW THE TRAJECTORY OF
THE VACCINES.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT GETTING ALL
KIDS IN CLASS MAKES SENSE.
DO YOU HAVE A POSITION?
DOES THE DEPARTMENT HAVE A
POSITION ON THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S PREMATURE TO
TELL.
ONE THING I KNOW AS A FORMER
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION,
COVID-19 NUMBERS WILL DICTATE
HOW WE MOVE TO REOPEN SCHOOLS.
SO IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOLS.
IT’S ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
THE COMMUNITY.
IF AS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY
WE CAN FOLLOW THOSE MITIGATION
STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
SCHOOLS ARE SAFE PLACES FOR OUR
STUDENTS AND FOR OUR STAFF, WE
SHOULD HAVE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL
NEXT YEAR.
WE SHOULD HAVE THEM IN SCHOOL IN
THE SPRING.
I REALLY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD
THIS SPRING TO SAFELY REOPEN
SCHOOLS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
FOR K-8 IS THE GOAL.
WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE HIGH
SCHOOLERS WAITING FOR THEIR
DRAMA CLUB TO START, FOR THEIR
BAND, FOR THOSE GRADUATION