What A Day - Back To School with Ed Sec Miguel Cardona

Episode Date: July 15, 2021

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is traveling across the country this week to discuss how schools and community colleges can help students after they lost out on so much due to the pandemic, and to outline applications for the $122 billion in education funding from the American Rescue Plan. We asked Dr. Cardona about that trip, as well as local PPE enforcement, student loans, classroom curriculum, and more.And in headlines: the arrest of former South African president Jacob Zuma sparked protests, updates on Biden’s $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed federal decriminalization of marijuana.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It's Thursday, July 15th. I'm Gideon Resnick. And I'm Travelle Anderson in for Akilah Hughes. And this is What A Day, where we are warning that Olivia Rodrigo's White House visit was the first step of a full-blown Gen Z takeover of the federal government. Yes, I can see the next campaign slogan, classy, bougie, ratchet. I'd vote for that person. On today's show, we'll have headlines and an in-person interview. So let's jump right to the latest. Yeah, and we're going to be talking about schools today and how they can reopen safely. Last week, we talked about the new guidelines that the CDC pushed out so that kids could go back into classrooms this fall.

And those recommendations include things like set distances between students and masks for those who are unvaccinated and so much more. But there are lots of questions on how districts might follow through on those guidelines when vaccines still aren't approved for children younger than 12. And then the continued politics over masks and vaccines. Yep, that is certainly going to be a thing, Travelle, as it has been. These are only the COVID-related aspects when it comes to fixing the country's schools. But all of this week, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is on a cross-country trip to visit campuses and to talk about how schools can help students after they lost out on so much this past year. Plus, he's touting the over $122 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan that schools can actually tap into to help fund what they may need. So for the first time in over a year, I'm not only back in the studio,

but I'm with Secretary Cardona in person, fully vaxxed, handshakes were had post the height of the pandemic, I guess. We're going to talk about the reopening process, student loans, classroom curriculum, and much more. Secretary Cardona, welcome to WOD. Happy to be here. Happy to be here. Thank you. Inaugural visit for this space. It's amazing to actually get to talk to somebody in person. So can you give us a sense of how setbacks some children are after more than a year of being outside the classroom? Definitely. Two important things right there. Students who are social by nature were forced to learn in an environment that lacked that social engagement. That's what we have to attend to when

they come back, right? And we know that in some communities, some students were affected more than others. Our work is cut out for us. We know the gaps are worse. We know socialization has to be a bigger part of the experience when they come back. And, you know, we have the American Rescue Plan. We have the Family San. We're rolling up our sleeves. We're ready to go. We want them back. We want them back. Right, right. And to that end, the CDC is trying to ascertain how exactly to issue guidelines on all these things. Their initial guidelines, you know, include recommendations like keeping children three feet apart. Ultimately, though, the department said it'll be up to individual districts on which pieces they want to follow.

How did you collaborate with them at all on these guidelines? And generally, what do you think of what they put out? Sure. First of all, you know, when I was a commissioner of education in Connecticut, I quickly realized it was easier to close schools than it is to reopen them. Sure. Some communities have experienced worse effects of COVID. So their fear or their apprehension might be higher. Facilities might be different. They might have older ventilation systems. So one size doesn't fit all. However, I relied really heavily on the guidance from CDC and my health director in Connecticut. The same is true now. So we're going to work with CDC guidance to see how that applies to our communities.

So I think the guidance is helpful. And then what we do is when we get that information, we make it applicable to schools. What does it mean for schools? So it's a constant process, and we're going to continue to work together. And to that point of it being sort of a process, do you anticipate that there could be any changes that actually happen here? Like is this sort of subject to what the course of the pandemic actually looks like in the next couple months? We're going to take what we know with science and what the transmission rates are telling us, and we're going to make decisions based off that, keeping health and safety at the forefront.

I think that's going to continue, you know, but everyone has fatigue, mask fatigue, COVID fatigue. However, we still have to be mindful, you know, the Delta variant, we're watching that. We don't want that to affect the opening of schools. So let's follow CDC guidance and let's make sure we're keeping health and safety at the forefront on all of our decisions. Yeah. And I want to ask also on the vaccine front, vaccines are still not approved for children who are 11 and younger, of course. We actually had a listener, Erin Edmond, send in this question. She said she's a mom from a Southern state and she lives in a county with a current 25% fully vaccinated adult population, so quite low. Her son is finally going back to

the classroom next month. His school district is not requiring masks at the moment. He will absolutely be wearing one, but it is likely that he will decisions being made that are not really based on science. It's really important. And I think part of this is helping your children understand why they're doing it, why it's important to do that. We're not we're not out of the woods yet. Totally. This question of masks, like you said, there's a mask fatigue. There's a lot of questions about how this is all going to impact at the local level. We got a lot of those sorts of questions. One of them from Kate Wright Mills, who wanted to say to you, quote, in New Jersey, many districts made masks optional in elementary schools in June, leaving it up to districts who decide on masks means more will make them optional because of pressure from parents to unmask kids. And then, you know, here in California, for example, we just saw this sort of flip flop on the issue this week,

at first saying masks are mandatory and then reversing that. So, Secretary, do you think the federal government should have stepped up and taken on the responsibility to say that masks are required? No exception. So the teachers and district administrators didn't have to figure this out on their own. You know, it's one of those deals where and again, this reminds me a lot of last July when we were forced to either decide to reopen schools or not reopen schools. You're going to make a decision based on what you think is best. Right. And not everyone is going to be in favor of it. And there's going to be a lot of conversation around why it works in some places and it doesn't work in others.

So we're very careful not to over mandate, but pushing the science, working with states to make sure that they know what the science is telling us, trying to keep politics out of it. Right. And this sort of promotion of reopenings, if you will, and the importance of summer programs that are within that. Can you tell us a little bit more about how those things are connected right now? Boys and girls clubs are in the mix. YMCAs are in the mix. It's almost like a camp. And yes, there's learning going on and there's socialization.

But most importantly, our students are getting ready for the fall. They're around each other again. They're feeling comfortable. It's a good way for a community to kind of recover to get ready for the reopening of schools. Today, I saw students having mentors teaching them basketball. You know, they were TikTok dancing, which is like a new sport now, I guess. Right, right, right. Not in the Olympics yet, but one day. Yeah, we'll get there. And just engaging. What I saw today was community members coming together to say, these are our kids.

And something else. I mean, there are so many issues that are embedded in this entire conversation, but both kids and parents needed mental health resources during the past year as well. They needed a lot of them. But in 2019, even before the pandemic, the American School Counselor Association estimated that on average, there was one school counselor for every 455 students. So what is within your power realistically to reverse that kind of long institutional issue? If we're not reimagining how our schools are meeting the needs of our students from a social and emotional perspective, we're not going to help the students post-pandemic.

So the American Rescue Plan provides $130 billion. Eighty-one billion of that was already released, and we're working on the other 40 to make sure that the social and emotional supports that the students need looks different. And I don't mean another five minutes with the school counselor once a week. I mean making sure we have enough staff, that we have wraparound services, programming after school. It really needs to be baked into the DNA of our schools a lot more than it is now. But I think what I don't want missed here is that the president has put out a transformational agenda around education.

So we have a moment here as educators to really lift the bar and raise the bar and lift expectations for everyone. So we have to act boldly to make sure that we don't become complacent and go back to what it was March 2020. I'm excited about the opportunity. I'm excited when I talk to educators across the country, when I talk to students. This is the beginning of a new era in education. I'm excited to be a part of it. Right, right. I want to shift gears for a second to another set of questions that I was getting quite a lot of. Last month, you mentioned that it's possible there could be further deferments in student loan payments. Where does that stand now? And where are things at the moment in terms of full-on cancellation? My understanding was

there was a conversation with the president about what legal authority could exist on that. Yeah, that's where that is. Our attorneys are working with DOJ attorneys and White House to kind of answer that. And there hasn't been a resolution on that yet. But what I will say is that this is not just an event. We have to do better at the Department of Education to support our borrowers, to make sure that the decisions that we can control, we're doing better. We've provided over $3 billion in relief for students who had loans. We've relieved those debts already. And we're looking for opportunities where we feel either institutions have taken advantage of students or not kept up their end of the bargain. We're going to work to cancel those loans. So we are cognizant of it.

Believe me, it's part of my goal, not only now, but throughout my time as Secretary of Education, to make sure we're doing as much for our borrowers and for our higher ed students as we are for our K-12 students. Next time you're back in here, we're going to make some news on it and try to get the full answer on the cancellations. Yeah, we're having those conversations. And, you know, believe me, I wish I could, because I know so many are asking too, and we are having those conversations. But I recognize how important it is for everyone. Yeah, I understand. This question about curricula that is seemingly everywhere right now. So many states have either banned or they're working to ban what they're referring to as the teaching of

critical race theory, depending on where you are. Tomorrow, actually, on our show, we're going to hear from two educators about what they think of this issue. And the federal government obviously does not control what states and districts are going to be teaching. But on a base level, what is your reaction to some lawmakers trying to control and effectively police in some ways what teachers can even include in the lesson plans that they put forward? Listen, we got to let educators educate. I trust my educators. I trust my leaders to understand how to make sure that the curriculum that is in front of students is engaging to all students, that it shows, as Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop said, windows and mirrors into other cultures, right? Where you could see yourself and then windows

into other cultures. But what I've seen happen is a politicizing of it. And that's unfortunate that our educators make the decisions on what's to be taught. Let's have confidence in them. Yeah, I hope that really is the case. Miguel Cardona, U.S. Education Secretary, thank you so much again for joining Watts. I really appreciate it. Happy to be here. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak between two friends here.

I love the background, the White House. You got it going on here. Love the setup. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Thank you so much for being here. And we are going to continue to follow how school reopenings go and hope to talk with the secretary again later this fall about all of that. But that is the latest for now. It's Thursday, WOD Squad, and for today's Temp Check, we are talking about the latest in celebrity entrepreneurship. America's next top model creator, Tyra Banks, has opened up an ice cream shop in Santa Monica, California,

called Smize Cream, which is named after her signature advanced modeling technique that means smiling with your eyes. For those who may be uninitiated here for Banks, the shop is about more than just dessert. She described it in an interview yesterday as a step towards building a legacy like that of Walt Disney. OK. And in that spirit, her ice cream store has its own intricate lore as well, complete with a fictional spokesperson. She is an elderly woman named DJ Splits, who is described in promotional material as the world's coolest grandma. DJ Splits has her own Instagram account and fictional grandchildren. And she and Tyra refer to each other in social media, comma, quote, business partners. Smiley Scream is near the site of Model Land, Banks' model-themed amusement park that was supposed to open last year but got delayed by COVID. That is clearly another part

of Banks' Walt Disney master plan. So Travelle, my question is, what is your take on this newest entry in the field of celebrity ice cream? Well, let me first start by saying I am someone who loves Tyra Banks. I grew up on Top Model. That is my type of stuff. However, why do these celebrities have just so much time on their hands to come up with something like Smize Cream? Also, Smize Cream sounds like it should probably be an eye cream and not ice cream. But you know, I don't have the coins that she has. So what do I know? Yeah, I completely agree that I'm a little bit confused by like the name on first reference would not sound like an edible product.

I completely agree. I'm deeply interested in this lore, though, and what sort of like expanded Smize Cream universe there could be here. Are you really, though, Gideon? Yeah, I mean, why not? You know, like you said, Banks does not have like. I mean, why not? You know, like you said, Banks does not have,

uh, like she has a lot of time on her hands, a lot of energy. Um, this could be something, you know, that really like pans out into, uh,

something deeply fascinating. Like it's time to get into a new thing. You know, why not? Why not DJ splits? Um, I'd like to be removed from this narrative. Thank you so much.

Well, just like that, we have checked our temps. Stay safe if you're going to enter into business with a grandma. Make it BTJ Splits, and we'll be back after some ads. Let's wrap up with some headlines. Headlines. was arrested last week for refusing to attend a corruption inquiry into his nine years of presidency. His arrest sparked protests by his supporters, which quickly grew into widespread unrest fueled by high unemployment and an economic crisis brought on by the pandemic. 72 people are confirmed dead from the unrest so far. Economic recovery in the country has been stunted by a third wave of COVID surges, pushing even more of the already struggling population under the poverty line. Currently, over half of the population is living in poverty. South Africa's

current president spoke earlier this week, saying that the unrest reveals what they already knew, that the levels of inequality in their society is unsustainable. President Biden met with Senate Democrats yesterday after they agreed on a $3.5 trillion infrastructure deal earlier this week. $600 billion of the plan is going to go towards spending on new physical infrastructure. The measure also includes Biden's priorities that are not covered by a bipartisan proposal, such as child care, health care, education and climate change. Democrats are hoping to pass this bill in the Senate through reconciliation, meaning they won't need any Republican votes for it to pass. They, however, do need all 50 Democrats in the Senate to agree on the proposal for that process to work. And funding for the bill is going to come from tax increases for the richest Americans and businesses, while prohibiting those increases for people making $400,000 or less a

year, small businesses and family farms as well. They're hoping to move forward with this bill before lawmakers leave for August recess. Happy Non-Binary Awareness Week to all WOD foods. That word is a mix, apparently, of they and dude, and they tell me it's a delightfully inclusive way to refer to your friends, if you weren't aware like me. Data from UCLA's Williams Institute found that 1.2 million, or 11% of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. identify as non-binary, with that number expected to grow. A new study from the Trevor Project determined that one quarter of LGBTQ youths between the age of 13 and 24 identify as non-binary. Half of the youths who identify as non-binary also identify as transgender, which underscores the importance

of trans representation. Shout out to MJ Rodriguez right now, who was nominated for a lead drama actress Emmy this week for her role in Pose. Who cares for it was the third season. It should have been for the first, but that's fine. Making her the first transgender performer to receive an Emmy nom in a major acting category. Studies showing how common it is to identify as non-binary come at a crucial time since many state lawmakers are passing anti-trans and non-binary youth legislation and blocking inclusive sex education in schools.

That is the truth. She was also amazing in that little Shop of Horrors production in Pasadena. How about that? Yes. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has always given off the mellow vibe of a grandpa who fell asleep on the couch after dinner, and now he wants us to experience that state of mind. He proposed legislation yesterday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The bill would also implement federal taxes on the pot industry, which did close to 20 billion in sales during 2020, in a year when we were extremely focused

on maintaining lung health, but also we couldn't leave our homes and TV really did start to get boring. Of course, the war on drugs has had devastating effects on poor communities and communities of color. So Schumer's proposal has a restorative element here as well. It would expunge nonviolent marijuana related arrests and convictions from federal records and earmark tax revenue for programs that would benefit affected communities. The passage of Schumer's draft bill is highly unlikely with the filibuster intact. Need we say it again, it would require the support of 10 Republican senators plus all 50 Democrats. Schumer has admitted that he doesn't have the support of his entire caucus even. Sounds like to me he needs to get to work and get to recruiting. Yeah, let's go grandpa. And those are the headlines. that is all for today if you like the show make sure you subscribe leave a review fall asleep on

the couch after dinner and tell your friends to listen and if you're into reading and not just deep and intricate backstory a fictional smize cream co-founder dj splits like me what a day is also a nightly newsletter check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe. I'm Travelle Anderson. I'm Gideon Resnick. And protect DJ Splits. She is an older woman, you know, got to mask up and make sure she's safe. Yes, respect your elders.

What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis. Sonia Tun and Jazzy Marine are our associate producers. Our head writer is John Milstein, and our executive producers are Leo Duran, Akilah Hughes, and me. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.