U.S. Department of Education (EDU) Secretary Miguel Cardona recently took to Twitter to tout an educational program he believes will eliminate educator shortages and advance strategies that will strengthen and diversify the country’s educator pipeline. The said program, "Raise the Bar: Lead the World", is projected to empower communities through comprehensive education from pre-kindergarten all the way to postsecondary learning.
"As an educator, I know what it's like to have new initiatives with fancy titles imposed on you w/ few resources & heaps of blame cast on schools & teachers. You won't get that from me. Our Raise the Bar agenda is educational substance, not sensationalism.", said Miguel Cardona.
Unfolding the key elements of this initiative, we examine a number of central objectives as stated by EDU's official website. According to the EDU’s website, the department believes that providing a dynamic public education, from prekindergarten through postsecondary learning and beyond, empowers communities while uniting people on the notion of student success. In turn, the program will reinforce U.S. democracy while reinforcing our economy and helping students with a pathway to success. EDU desires that they are committed to ensuring that all students receive an education that enables them to thrive in school and in life.
While there is an underlying philosophy supporting this effort, it's crucial to look into what particular steps are being planned under this initiative. The Raise the Bar: Lead the World initiative is EDU's effort to reinvigorate public education centered on decades of experience, and research, to advance educational equity and excellence.
To better understand this initiative, let's look at what "Raising the Bar" exactly entails according to EDU. "Raising the bar means recognizing that our nation already has what it takes to continue leading the world—if we deliver a comprehensive, rigorous education for every student; boldly improve conditions for learning; and ensure every student has a pathway to multilingualism and to college and careers," EDU’s website states.
Finally, how will these proposed measures impact students directly? The EDU outlines some specific outcomes they hope to achieve. EDU believes that students will be more successful in and out of classroom through the efforts of the program. The department hopes they can provide every student access to highly skilled teachers who reflect the diversity of the students they serve. Investments in the American Rescue Plan have provided states and school districts with the ability to make significant progress in eliminating educator shortages and advancing strategies that strengthen and diversify the country’s educator pipeline, according to EDU.
