In person classes this week due to a rise in illnesses among staff and students. School officials said the drop off in attendance was due to a mixture of viruses including covid 19 and influenza. And frances Education Minister announced the Country Will Ban Schoolchildren from wearing the abaya, a loose fitting full length robe worn by some muslim women, in state run schools when classes begin this month. My colleague Sumi Somaskanda spoke this week with us education secretary Miguel Cardona to discuss the challenges facing students and teachers heading Back To School. Secretary, thank you very much forjoining us again on bbc news. I want to start with affirmative action, because the Supreme Courts ruling effectively ended race conscious admissions in colleges and universities. And if you look at the state of california, the uc system hasnt been able to meet its racial diversity goals despite having ended race based admissions more than two decades ago. So how do you make sure that schools and universities are diverse at the same time as adhering to the law . , �. ,. , same time as adhering to the law . ,�. , law . Yes, im glad you brought u. Law . Yes, im glad you brought up california. Law . Yes, im glad you brought up california, because law . Yes, im glad you brought up california, because we law . Yes, im glad you brought up california, because we can l up california, because we can see that what happened in california happens across the country, we are taking steps backwards. I believe the Supreme Court got it wrong. We are committed to working with leaders from all over the country to make sure that we are increasing the diversity in our campuses to reflect the beautiful diversity of this country. We know we have talent there, and unfortunately our Admissions Data does not reflect the diversity we have in our country. So we are committed to working with our president s, our chancellors, our boards, to find ways to make sure all students feel accepted and welcomed in a Higher Education campuses. And that also means getting specific or getting really strategic around k i2 schools and Higher Education institution partnerships. We need to recruit better. We need to make sure we take into account the diversity of the students have experienced. We can do it. Obviously we have to be lawful. They took away a tool to get diversity on campus, but they didnt take away our resolve. The northwest evaluation away our resolve. The northwest Evaluation Association away our resolve. The northwest Evaluation Association put away our resolve. The northwest Evaluation Association put out i Evaluation Association put out a report about students who are continuing to struggle post pandemic, and they said, quote, in nearly grades, Achievement Grades during 2022 23 fell short of pre pandemic trends, which stalled progress towards pandemic recovery. And its at the average Student Needs about four additional months in reading and 4. 5 months in maths to catch up. What is the Department Doing to help close that gap . Department doing to help close that aa7. , Department Doing to help close thatua . , Department Doing to help close that aa7. , that gap . Right, as a parent and as an that gap . Right, as a parent and as an educator, that gap . Right, as a parent and as an educator, that that gap . Right, as a parent and as an educator, that is l that gap . Right, as a parent l and as an educator, that is my priority. Imagine how far back as students would be across the country if we didnt have the American Rescue plan dollars to help with after school programming, Summer School programming, Summer School programming, tutoring, making sure we have highly qualified teachers. But it goes to show the impact of the pandemic and how students went back. I was at a school earlier today and i saw these efforts of tutoring, good literacy instruction, Mental Health support for students, taking place. At the department of education, we have a strategy called raise the bar, where literacy and numeracy recovery is critical and Health Support is critical, providing pathways to students is critical, making sure we have highly qualified teachers in every classroom, thats part of our strategy. We have a game plan for this. We are bringing dollars to bearfor this. The president s budget is very clear that he is working to make sure that schools where students are underperforming at the support that they need to not only recover from the pandemic but thrive even higher than ever before. If pandemic but thrive even higher than ever before. Than ever before. If we talk about the than ever before. If we talk about the content than ever before. If we talk about the content in than ever before. If we talk l about the content in schools, theres been a lot of controversy over how black history is taught in the state of florida, as you know. Theres a new standard that requires educators to teach students there that slaves develop skills that they could benefit from. And you have that you dont want politicians interfering in education like this. So what is the Department Doing when it comes to these types of standards . Types of standards . Right, well, first types of standards . Right, well, first of types of standards . Right, well, first of all, types of standards . Right, well, first of all, my types of standards . Right, i well, first of all, my message to the students and educators and parents in florida is we see whats happening and we support you. We recognise the attack that Public School is under in places like florida, and we recognise that when politics enters the classroom, our students lose. Its important that we let our local boards, parents and educators make decisions, not politicians that want to lift their national profile. You know, the latest example of where they are were trying to find some benefits to slavery is really low, but its a pattern of attacks on black curriculums, on the diversity in general. We have the office for civil rights that investigate any cases of hostile Learning Environments for students, and we are always available to receive Investigation Requests if thats felt. If thats felt. Have you received if thats felt. Have you received those if thats felt. Have you i received those requests if thats felt. Have you received those requests from the state of florida . We have received requests the state of florida . We have received requests from received requests from different states. Some in florida, i couldnt tell you if it was regarding the most recent one, but i will tell you that weve heard from parents, from educators and students in florida. Ive been on the ground in florida, telling me that they are disgusted with whats happening at the state level, that they want to just get back to learning and making sure that all students feel welcome in their schools. This goes back to making students who are lgbt cute feel unwelcome in schools a couple of years ago. There is a direct attempt to disrupt public education, in my opinion so they can sell that Voucher Programmes over there, so that is not going to work lgbtq. School safety is also in the minds of parents is they go Back To School, as you know. We just witnessed two shootings several months apart where universities were involved, in South Carolina and florida. Can you tell parents that their students heading back to campuses are safe . Look, as a father, campuses are safe . Look, as a father. The campuses are safe . Look, as a father, the most campuses are safe . Look, as a father, the most important father, the most important thing for me is the safety of my family. As i drop children off, whether its high school or college, their physical safety and their emotional well being are paramount to me. And i want that for all kids across the country. We are doing everything we can with the bipartisan Safer Communities act to provide dollars. We are communicating the importance of safety. We are providing Technical Assistance to districts and states. But we need congress to act with gun safety legislation that removes Assault Weapons from the hands of people that shouldnt have them. We need our legislators to be more worried about the safety of children than the safety of children than the safety of children than the safety of our fifteens in our communities. The president is pushing, and i know many of our colleagues on the hill are pushing, but we have some far right republicans who would rather protect guns than children. Rather protect guns than children. ,. ,. ,. , children. Secretary, one more auestion children. Secretary, one more question about children. Secretary, one more question about student children. Secretary, one more question about student loan l question about student loan forgiveness. I know this is something youve been working closely with the president on. His original plan was blocked by the Supreme Court, now he has turned to a different Forgiveness Plan under the Higher Education act. That could take months or even years implement. So do you think the president can honour this Campaign Promise to forgive Student Loan Debt . The president Student Loan Debt . The president has Student Loan Debt . The president has been Student Loan Debt . Tue president has been honouring it. We provided over 117 Billion Dollars relief from day one, that is more than any other administration has provided. Without question, with Public Service loan forgiveness, we have really gone over those colleges that have taken advantage of students. We have provided Debt Forgiveness to Public Servants, and we have a more robust plan for the negotiated rulemaking process to provide more targeted debt relief. But to answer the question about are we committed to it, look at what weve done from day one. 0ver what weve done from day one. Over 117 billion in Debt Forgiveness, over 600,000 Public Servants have gotten debt relief, and were going to continue fighting. We know that this is important. We know that accountability in Higher Education is important. We know that opening to Higher Education for many more americans is something that we are committed to, not only for them but for the strength of our country and the president s not only talked about it, but showing the commitment through the action, and we are committed to doing that. Moving forward. �. , i. Forward. And what is your message forward. And what is your message to forward. And what is your message to students forward. And what is your message to students as l forward. And what is your i message to students as they head Back To School . Liaise message to students as they head Back To School . Head Back To School . Give it our head Back To School . Give it your best head Back To School . Give it your best. Commit head Back To School . Give it your best. Commit to i head Back To School . Give it i your best. Commit to learning as much about yourself as you are about learning from others and building a sense of community in your schools. We believe in you, we are excited for this Upcoming School year, and going to fight hard to make sure that you have a good education in k 12 and in Higher Education. Education in k12 and in Higher Education education in k12 and in Higher Education. ,. ,. ~ education. Secretary, thank you very much education. Secretary, thank you very much for education. Secretary, thank you very much forjoining education. Secretary, thank you very much forjoining us. Education. Secretary, thank you very much forjoining us. Thank| very much for oining us. Thank ou ve very much forjoining us. Thank you very much very much forjoining us. Thank you very much. 0k, very much forjoining us. Thank you very much. 0k, thank i very much forjoining us. Thank you very much. 0k, thank you. J for some insight into what its like to be at the front of the classroom, my colleague Caitriona Perry spoke with rebecka peterson, the 2023 us National Teacher of the year. She has been a math teacher for 11 years at Union High School in tulsa, oklahoma. Rebecca peterson, you have been a teacher now for well over a decade, but you describe your first year of teaching is quite a difficult one. Why was that . Yes, so i started teaching at the College Level, and then after three years of teaching at the College Level i switched to the high school level, and it was that year of switching that was really a challenge for me. I went from this classroom where students were paying to hear what i had to say to this classroom where students were more or less forced to hear what i had to say, and that was a real shock to my system. And to be honest, i wasnt sure that i was going to make it. I thought, this is hard, but eventually i found my rhythm and ifound eventually i found my rhythm and i found that i absolutely loved Teaching High School students. And they have become the best pieces of me. The best pieces of me. Now, you are an immigrant the best pieces of me. Now, you are an immigrant of the best pieces of me. Now, you are an immigrant of swedish i are an immigrant of Swedish Uranian descent who went to school, and many countries around the world before you arrived in america. Do you find that us classrooms are welcoming to children of diverse backgrounds . Iranian. Eula mckenna, i can speak to my own district which is an incredibly diverse and culturally rich district. We have 62 languages represented, and so for me to teach union Public Schools here in tulsa, oklahoma, has beenjust so Public Schools here in tulsa, oklahoma, has been just so full 0klahoma, has been just so full circle. Oklahoma, has been ust so full circle. � ,. , oklahoma, has been ust so full circle. ,. , circle. Because so many of my students circle. Because so many of my students are circle. Because so many of my students are also circle. Because so many of my students are also immigrants | circle. Because so many of my i students are also immigrants or first generation americans. And so well we did move a lot growing up, i live in four countries by the time of 16, and that sometimes were sort of and that sometimes were sort of an un tethering experience, but i say, you know what . This sort of un tethering as a child now really tethers me to my students, and so it is such a i0y my students, and so it is such a joy to teach in this beautifully diverse and culturally rich district, where i am very proud of how welcoming we are to all students. And thats the beauty for about public education, right, it is for all of us. So how does right, it is for all of us. So how does your right, it is for all of us. So how does your own personal experience, then, inform your approach to children, perhaps maybe to children who are struggling orfinding maybe to children who are struggling or finding things difficult . ,. , difficult . Yes, i think for me its so important difficult . Yes, i think for me its so important to difficult . Yes, i think for me its so important to capture l its so important to capture the heart before we try to capture the mind. So for me, it comes down to learning my students stories. And so at the beginning of each school yeari the beginning of each school year i invite you to buy students to just come and tell me their story, you know . Because we know kids so to just open up the space and learn about them as human beings before students. Its been so transformative, and when we learn our students stories, grace permeates, and i find that, you know, when we have these connections, the connections dont make students but connection makes a lot of room, so thats how i really try to ensure that there is a seat for each and every kid. 50 seat for each and every kid. So is it surprising to you, then, looking at that harris poll, that