Miguel Cardona

I am excited about the potential in this country for the jobs that are going to be coming, the careers that are going to be coming with some of the Invest in America strategies.

We have to do better. I call it evolving them to make sure that they are connected to our 2-year schools, to our pathways into career.

We will continue to support Charter schools, and the budget this year does not ask for an increase.

We have to really address the stigma in this country that...creating pathways is telling students where they are going to end up.

I have often said that a budget is a statement of values.

We need to be unified to make sure that our kids are OK, that they're getting the academic help they need, the mental support they need, but also pathways into these careers that are going to be available to them in the next couple of…

Parents don't want politicians dictating what their children can learn, think and believe.

Ironically, some of the very politicians who claim to promote freedom are banning books and censoring what students can learn.

What I'm not in favor of is having state level politicians insert themselves in local schools to gain political points.

Budget cuts, like what is being proposed, would make it more likely that that student who had greater need during the pandemic is now going to a school without a certified classroom teacher.

I agree with you that Pell has opened doors for many students who thought college was out of reach.

We need to respect the profession better. College graduates earn 33% more than your average teacher when they leave.

We've forgiven over $10 billion in public service loan forgiveness to date.

We've been really focused on making sure we're protecting our students and our borrowers, $32 billion in debt forgiveness from day one.

I want to thank Senator Murphy, who is here today, in particular for his hard work and leadership on this.

This package will close the boyfriend loophole at the Federal level.

That is why I fought to pass the American Rescue Plan, to deliver the resources our students, educators, and public schools need.

I want parents to know this. I am in your corner, fighting for you and your kids.

I believe we need to fund public schools so that every student that attends a public school can have a high quality education.

Parents are the most influential and most important teachers that our children have.

We must renew that promise for today's students and those to come.

Mental health is significantly--has to be significantly greater in how we educate our students moving forward.

We do want to see that continue and continue to expand to close those gaps that were established.

We need to have additional staff to address this backlog.

There has to be an equal part, support and accountability.