Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is championing the Raise the Bar initiative as the cornerstone of enhanced academic standards, teacher support and global engagement for today's students.
"We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to raise the bar for our students, and that starts with literacy," Cardona said in an Aug. 9 post on X, formerly Twitter. "We're ensuring schools have the resources they need to help our children become successful readers."
The Raise the Bar initiative focuses on three primary objectives, according to a U.S. Department of Education release. The initiative places emphasis on accelerating student learning and promoting a "comprehensive and rigorous" education for all.
This includes fostering innovative teaching models, expanding access to STEM and arts education and reinforcing funding structures to support these endeavors, the release reported. By doing so, the initiative aims not only to match pre-pandemic academic performance levels but to surpass them, tackling existing achievement and opportunity gaps.
Recognizing that the foundation of any successful educational system lies in its educators, Raise the Bar takes assertive steps to address the teacher shortage, the release said. Among these are promoting competitive salaries, improved working conditions and advanced professional development opportunities. Furthermore, understanding the importance of student mental health, the initiative seeks to expand access to school-based mental health professionals, ensuring students' overall well-being.
In today's interconnected world, the initiative understands the need for students to be globally competent, according to the release. It envisions redefined college and career pathways, facilitating students' access to industry-recognized credentials and in-demand job opportunities. An additional focus is the promotion of multilingualism, setting the stage for every student to be a global communicator.
The Raise the Bar initiative resonates as a comprehensive response to the evolving educational needs of the nation, the release said. By addressing academic standards, educator needs and global competencies, it holds the promise of molding future generations into active, engaged and lifelong learners. As Cardona underscored, the time to act is now, and the bar is set high.
