For Release: Jan. 31, 2022
Contact: Dorie Turner Nolt, 404.861.1127, dturnernolt@all4ed.org
“We appreciate Education Secretary Miguel Cardona’s speech outlining his vision and priorities for America’s education system as we recover from the pandemic. He not only voiced his full support for the hard work of teachers and education leaders during this incredibly difficult time, he also called for this to be ‘our moment to truly reimagine education.’ The student-centered approach he described is exactly what All4Ed has been pushing for the last two decades, especially when it comes to boldly addressing opportunity and achievement gaps for historically underserved students at every level of education — particularly those impacted most by the pandemic.
Today, 80% of good-paying jobs require higher education, yet we also see excessive remediation rates that show many high school students are not being prepared for what comes after graduation, leading to dismal college completion rates. We embrace Secretary Cardona’s challenge to ‘rethink the link across our education systems, from preK-12 to higher education.’ We also applaud his support for stronger college and career pathways because research shows they lead to better college enrollment, retention, and completion for students. We know that making higher education more inclusive and affordable for all students is critical. Secretary Cardona outlined ways to create a clear path for all students to get the preparation needed to achieve their dreams. We stand ready to work with the Education Department to make these goals a reality.”
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Deborah S. Delisle is the president and CEO of All4Ed (formerly the Alliance for Excellent Education) and served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education from 2012 to 2015. All4Ed (formerly the Alliance for Excellent Education) is a Washington, DC–based national organization dedicated to advancing policies and practices so all students, especially those from underserved communities and particularly students of color and those from low-income families, graduate from high school prepared to complete postsecondary education and achieve success in a rapidly changing world. all4ed.org
