U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is embarking on the "Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar" tour on Sept. 5, spotlighting innovative education initiatives across multiple states to elevate student learning and achievement, a U.S. Department of Education press release said.
"I’m looking forward to lifting up great models in education and highlighting how our country benefits when we work together to invest in our children and young people – the future of our nation," the release quotes Cardona as saying.
The week-long, multi-state road trip is designed to highlight and celebrate the efforts of schools, families, and communities in their collective pursuit of accelerating student learning and elevating the overall quality of education, the release said.
The tour will include visits to Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, where Cardona will engage with a diverse array of stakeholders, according to the release. He will address critical topics in education, including teacher diversity, the expansion of higher education access, bridging the digital divide through enhanced online connectivity, fostering family engagement, and providing vital mental health support for students.
One of the primary objectives of the tour is to spotlight the effective use of pandemic relief funds by educational institutions, the release said. This funding has been instrumental in fortifying core instruction, delivering well-rounded educational opportunities and facilitating academic recovery and mental health support for students across the country, the release said. Cardona will discuss how schools are leveraging these resources to empower both educators and students, the release said.
Cardona will be joined by Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten and Undersecretary James Kvaal, as well as national, state, and local school leaders. The presence of these officials will serve to foster conversations with students, parents, and educators, emphasizing the administration's unwavering commitment to aiding students in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic and charting a course toward achievement, the release said.
"To serve our nation's students well for years to come, we need to see pockets of excellence in some places become systems of success in all places," Cardona said in the press release. The tour endeavors to not only recognize exceptional models of education but also emphasize the collaborative efforts required to invest in the future of the nation, the release said.
