Education Week - May 17, 2023 - 8

Q&A
Teachers Need More Than Just Pay Raises,
Education Secretary Argues
What would you like teachers to understand
about what the Education Department does?
Teacher voice is alive and well at the Department of
Education. That wasn't always the case. That is the case
while I'm secretary. Their perspective helps drive what our
commitments are: to not only work on teacher salary but
working conditions, making sure teachers have appropriate
professional development on [artificial intelligence],
making sure we're supporting schools as the hub. These are
all things that were influenced by AFT and NEA.
What we output is also informed. When we're putting
Conversation with
Miguel Cardona
U.S. Secretary of Education
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona doesn't
think it's enough to pay teachers more. Teachers'
working conditions must improve, too.
The secretary said as much during a oneon-one
conversation with Education Week
following the conclusion of the International
Summit of the Teaching Profession April 27.
The three-day event brought together education
ministers and teachers' union leaders from 22
countries to discuss strategies and actions each
country can take to improve education.
Cardona made a point to highlight his
agency's collaboration with the nation's
two largest teachers' unions at the summit,
which the Education Department co-hosted.
Representatives of the National Education
Association, the American Federation of
Teachers, and the Council of Chief State
School Officers joined Cardona to represent
the United States throughout the summit.
Cardona called their partnership " intentional
collaboration, " and said he believes their voices
will help the Education Department improve
conditions for teachers.
The U.S. delegates at the summit identified
four commitments over the next year,
including collaborating with unions to ensure
student well-being and academic success,
promoting schools as full-service community
centers, strengthening support for educators,
and modernizing education.
This interview has been edited for length and
clarity.
out grant applications for different things, for additional
reading teachers, for additional mental health support, for
additional support for schools as they develop pathways to
careers for students, it's all informed by our interactions
with teachers and the voice of teachers. Like them, we're
fighting for equity. Like them, we're trying to remove the
nonsense and the politics out of education policy and
focus on students. We're keeping the needs of the students
at the center of the conversation.
How do you define leading the world, and
how far are we from achieving that?
Right now our country is in the middle when it comes
to reading and math compared to other developed
countries-that's unacceptable. We're not leading the
world there. We have major teacher shortages. We're not
like other countries in terms of showing respect for the
profession, making sure it's a competitive salary, providing
pathways into the profession. We're not leading the world
there. We're going to lead the world there.
When it comes to mental health, I want to make sure
that our schools are looking at the holistic needs of our
students. We have work to do there. We're better than
many other countries in that aspect.
The majority of the people in that room were
multilingual, so we have work to do there. In terms of
pathways, making sure our high schools are connected
to industry partners or two-year colleges or four-year
colleges, we're making headway. I'm really excited about
that work, but there are some countries where they've
been doing this for years. I want to lead the world on all
those indicators.
What is a quality community school, and why
should schools be working to replicate this
model?
The schools that reopened safely the best were the ones
that were more closely aligned to the principles of fullservice
community schools. There was trust. There were
resources available for parents in whatever language they
needed. There were mental health supports available to
students. There was food where food insecurities existed
in the community. There were liaisons whose job it was to
connect to community partners to make sure the students
in that school have what they need.
We know that model works. We saw it work during
the pandemic. But we know when there is no pandemic
that when the schools become the hub of the community,
students are more likely to thrive, and families are more
likely to be connected to the schools. Authentic parent
engagement is more possible. It feels like a sense of
community.
I'll tell you, when the pandemic hit and kids were
separated from schools, kids weren't upset because they
missed their math class. They might've missed their math
8 | EDUCATION WEEK | May 17, 2023 | www.edweek.org
You said it's not enough to just give teachers
a raise; working conditions have to improve,
too. What are some concrete actions the
Education Department can take to improve
teacher working conditions?
You've got to start with pay. Teachers make on average
20 to 30 percent less than other professions with similar
degrees. That's unacceptable. We've got to not normalize
teachers driving Uber on the weekends. We can't have
that. They're professionals. Treat them like professionals.
Teachers, once they get into the parking lot, they're on.
They have students in front of them the whole day. Maybe
they'll get half an hour for lunch where they have to make
calls and hit the copy machine because it was too busy in
the beginning. They have long days. So how do we build
into the teacher day time for professional learning, time
for reflection, and time to observe another teacher? That's
one thing.
Do we provide enough support and mentorship for
teachers, teacher-to-teacher mentorship where they have
time during their workday-not on their personal time-to
grow, to reflect, to observe another teacher? Do they have
an opportunity to ask questions if they're struggling with
something?
And then a third thing, do they have access to
professional learning around topics that are important to
them?
Four, do the classroom teachers have enough student
support staff around them? Are there paraeducators to
support the students that need extra support? Do they
have the right technology to make sure that they can
keep up with the needs of the students? Are there enough
social workers, psychologists, and school counselors
available so that when students are struggling they have
adequate support? Are there school nurses? Do they
have administrative support and leaders that are well
trained and well supported so they could provide support
for educators? Do they have managers or instructional
leaders? I would rather work in a school with an
instructional leader.
What role do you see ChatGPT and other
AI platforms playing in the classroom, and
what can the Education Department do to
regulate it?
When the internet came out there were very few
guardrails. There was too much exposure, and it was
harder to unlearn some of the things that were happening.
Similarly, on social media, there were too few guardrails.
As a result, we believe social media has contributed to the
youth mental health crisis. So let's take lessons from that and
say, technology is here. We need to embrace it. It could be
amazing, but let's make sure that we're staying ahead of it.
What I'm proposing is to have a national group that we
convene with perspectives of teachers, students, parents,
educators, and some of our tech partners to collectively
act upon our shared intent to protect children, but also
provide tools and professional learning for teachers that
is appropriate and adequate-so that a 3rd grade teacher
knows how to use it to enhance learning, so that a high
school teacher knows how to use it to develop critical
thinking skills.
-LIBBY STANFORD
teacher. They missed the sense of community that schools
provide. Full-service community schools do just that, they
build a family and a sense of community. That's where
children thrive.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
http://www.edweek.org
Education Week - May 17, 2023

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