U.S. Education Department Kicks-off Equity Summit Series

The U.S. Department of Education is holding a series of programs as part of its Equity Summit Series. The first event titled, “Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools,” was held on June 22 with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden joining Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and others to discuss how the Biden administration can take action to promote increased equity in education in the United States, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This inaugural webinar focused was on school reopening. The administration is looking at school reopenings as an opportunity to reimagine what it means to be a student in the classroom setting. The virtual event featured a panel of experts who were able to dive deep on what sort of policies and practices need to be implemented now to create a more equitable environment as children begin to renter the physical classroom.

The event highlighted the administration’s goals of expanding access to pre-K and free community college, and investing in educators, and building a diverse education and workforce pipeline. The administration hopes to achieve these goals through programs and financial support outlined in the President’s FY2022 Budget Request, which more than doubles funding for Title I schools through new equity grants.

During the event, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden commented, “For many years schools across the country have grappled with issues of inequity, especially our students of color, those from low income homes, students with disabilities, and English language learners. As we recover from this pandemic, it's on all of us to ensure we don't return to the same broken systems of the past, but build back better than before. And that’s exactly what our administration is committed to doing.”

For more information on the Equity Summit Series, visit: https://www.ed.gov/category/keyword/equity-summit.