MIGUEL CARDONA

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told "CBS Mornings" that keeping schools open "is vital for our students."

Districts that have opted for virtual learning this winter are firmly in the minority right now. Only about 100 of the nation's over 13,000 school districts are opting for virtual learning this winter despite surging case numbers.

To help keep students in school, the CDC and U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona endorsed test-to-stay as an alternative to 10-day quarantines.

Browse all of our full transcripts from 2022 of "Face the Nation" with Margaret Brennan.

The following is the full transcript of an interview with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on "Face the Nation" on January 2, 2022.

Mask requirements are returning in some school districts that had dropped them.

Harris said the administration has to "figure out how we can creatively relieve the pressure that students are feeling because of their student loan debt."

The Biden administration is extending a student loan moratorium that has allowed tens of millions of Americans to put off debt payments during the pandemic.

Schools across the U.S. are using portions of the windfall of federal coronavirus relief money to quickly expand their capacity to address students’ struggles with mental health.

Cardona said it "wasn't a mistake" to keep schools closed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biden administration is encouraging local school districts to host clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to kids and information to parents on the benefits of the shots.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have recognized the 2021 and 2020 national teachers of the year and all teachers for the work they do.

The Biden Administration has provided over $9.5 billion of student loan relief in seven months. Roughly $1.7 trillion of student loans remain.

"We can't wait for a personal finance course in high school," U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona told CNBC's Sharon Epperson in an interview.

"It's appalling that we're talking about debating whether or not to protect children," said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

Saturday, October 9, 2021 & Sunday, October 10, 2021 | “The Zoo” returns on Animal Planet

In a letter Friday, Democrats demanded that the Education Dept. determine in 2 weeks the legality of cancelling $50,000 or more in debt per borrower.

A student debt forgiveness program with notoriously complex eligibility rules is getting an overhaul from the Biden administration, with the intent of extending debt relief to thousands of public workers.

A "60 Minutes" report broadcast Sunday detailed how few active-duty service members had their student loan debt erased.

The Biden administration is overhauling the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The Department of Education said the changes could benefit more than 550,000 public-sector workers. Seth Frotman, the executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the changes and who might qualify.

A "60 Minutes" report broadcast Sunday detailed how few active-duty service members had their student loan debt erased.

The Biden administration announced major changes to the public service loan forgiveness program, bringing more than 550,000 borrowers closer to relief.

The Biden administration is moving to relax the rules for a student loan forgiveness program that has been criticized for its notoriously complex requirements.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, including schools in Miami-Dade County. Local schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:Homestead – Center for International Education a Cambridge Associate School, Miami-Dade School District. Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better.”The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools. Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

AdvertisementU.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently congratulated the 2021 President’s Education Awards Program (PEAP) recipients, recognizing nearly 1.85 million elementary, middle, and high school graduates on their educational accomplishments. The President’s Education Award Program honorees have forged opportunity out of crisis and drawn on their resolve, their ingenuity, and their tireless optimism to excel.”PEAP was founded in 1983. Individual recognition is bestowed by the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education, in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. There is no limit on the number of awards as long as students meet the criteria for each award set by the school. Despite the uncertainty and challenges related to COVID-19, the program continued to accept and fulfill nominations so that student recognition could continue.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has tried to balance optimism around safe, in-person learning with political pugilism aimed at officials who are making it hard for schools to require masks.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is hopping a purple bus for his "Return-to-School Road Trip." His message to students and educators: It's good to be back.

Connecticut and a handful of other states have recently decided to mandate students be taught about Native American culture and history.

Alaska Gov_ Mike Dunleavy said President Joe Biden’s effort to require millions of U_S_ workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is “ill conceived, divisive, and un-American.”.

In the polarized world that has enveloped the response to COVID-19, school mask mandates are perhaps the clearest demonstration of the sharp dichotomy between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Democrats hoping to deny him a second term next year and derail his presidential ambitions. Not only isn’t DeSantis backing down, he’s escalating the fight.

The department sent letters to state leaders in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, warning that mask mandate bans could violate federal protections for students with disabilities.

The Department of Education has sent letters to Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

The Education Department says it’s investigating five Republican-led states that have banned or limited mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that it will forgive $1.1 billion in student debt for 115,000 borrowers.

The Education Department has announced it will forgive student debt for more than 100,000 borrowers who attended colleges in the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute chain but left before graduating.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit over a South Carolina law that bans school districts from imposing mask mandates.

The Biden administration says the historic amount of federal pandemic aid flowing to the nation's K-12 schools presents a moment for reimagining all aspects of American education.

Cardona said he supports vaccine mandates for teachers and students.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona also said states can't withhold federal funds from schools that impose mask mandates.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has sent a letter to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Department of Education Superintendent Molly Spearman, warning against policies that prevent school districts from requiring masks.

The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday that it will cancel $5.8 billion in student debt for more than 320,000 borrowers.

The move will wipe out more than $5.8 billion in debt, according to the Education Department.

The move will wipe out more than $5.8 billion in debt, according to the Education Department.

Education Sec. Miguel Cardona announced automatic cancelation for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities, eliminating burdensome paperwork.

The Biden administration says it will automatically erase student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with disabilities that leave them unable to earn significant incomes.

Biden instructs Education Department to take 'appropriate' action against governors who ban school mask mandates

President Joe Biden has ordered his Education secretary to explore possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other public health measures meant to protect students.

President Biden says he has directed the Secretary of Education to exercise full oversight and explore legal action against governors who attempt to prohibit school mask mandates.

A legal tug of war is playing out in Texas, while Florida districts that enforce mask mandates could risk a state investigation and lost funding. Here's where the school masking battles stand.

The case will be heard Monday after the court paused the counties’ mandates.

The Biden administration sent a letter to Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis suggesting that any school officials penalized over the state's ban of mask mandates could be reimbursed with federal funds.

President Joe Biden’s administration is offering its full-throated support for local cities and school boards in Texas and Florida that are defying orders by their Republican governors that prohibit mask-wearing mandates in schools.

Washington Informer, Web StaffThere’s a reprieve in sight for college students struggling to pay their education loans while efforts are being made to make higher education more affordable and improve student loan servicing. The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday a final extension of the pause that includes loan repayment, interest, and collections until Jan. 31. The department will continue to transition borrowers smoothly back into repayment, including by improving student loan servicing. “The payment pause has been a lifeline that allowed millions of Americans to focus on their families, health, and finances instead of student loans during the national emergency,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. Included among the department’s steps to ease up on student loan repayments are approving $1.5 billion in borrower defense claims and reinstating $1.3 billion in loan discharges for 41,000 borrowers who received a total and permanent disability discharge, as well as protecting another 190,000 from potential loan reinstatement.

In the past week, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona urged pediatricians and school districts to ramp up vaccine clinics.

Proponents of student debt cancelation applaud the Biden Administration’s extension of the pause on student loan payments but want the president to take action and cancel the debt. Written By Anoa Changa(Source NewsOne):Learning from the eviction moratorium crisis, the Biden administration got a jump on the federal student loan repayment pause. Biden previously directed Cardona to draft a memo exploring the president’s authority to discharge student loan debt. NAACP President Derrick Johnson previously told Inside Higher Education that addressing the racial wealth gap means tackling student loan debt. Wilberforce University and South Carolina State University also announced plans to cancel student debt.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not "preview" the administration's plan Tuesday for pushing back on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's latest action opposed to federal coronavirus guidance, opting instead to highlight "the courage and the boldness" of other local officials taking steps to "protect students."

On this "Face the Nation" broadcast, Governor Asa Hutchinson and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona talk to John Dickerson.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona that aired on Sunday, August 8, 2021, on "Face the Nation."

At the beginning of the pandemic, federal student loan borrowers were granted a reprieve on their loan payments. The U.S. Education Department says that reprieve will end on Jan. 31, 2022.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson, and more appear on Sunday's "Face the Nation"

The Biden administration has announced that federal student loan payments will remain suspended through January 2022, extending a pause that was scheduled to expire next month.

​COVID policies are evolving as ​millions of students and educators head back to class.

​COVID policies are evolving as ​millions of students and educators head back to class.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona emphatically urged "adults" Thursday not to "let politics get in front of what is best for our students," but promised not to cut federal funding for states should they implement policies prohibiting the following of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus guidance.

Almost 72,000 young Americans caught COVID last week alone, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Almost 72,000 young Americans caught COVID last week alone, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Students learn best in classrooms, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona tells NPR — but "we have to make sure that we're following mitigation strategies."

A leftist political novice who has promised to be a champion of his country’s poor has been sworn in as Peru’s new president.

The U.S. Department of Education approved Georgia’s plans to use $1.4 billion in federal coronavirus relief money.

The U.S. Education Department has announced it will forgive student loans for more than 1,800 borrowers who attended for-profit colleges that made false recruiting claims.

U.S. health officials say vaccinated teachers and students don't need to wear masks inside school buildings.

President Joe Biden has told the nation's largest teachers union that the nation's educators need “a raise, not just praise.”.

The U.S. Education Department is loosening the rules around a grant program that’s meant to help aspiring teachers pay for college but has actually left many stuck with debt.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says Puerto Rico will receive nearly $4 billion in federal education pandemic relief funds to help boost the U.S. territory’s fight against COVID-19.

The U.S. Education Department on Wednesday expanded its interpretation of federal sex protections to include transgender and gay students.

The U.S. Education Department says it's erasing student debt for thousands of borrowers who attended a for-profit college chain that exaggerated its graduates’ success in finding jobs.

President Joe Biden has met his goal of having most elementary and middle schools open for full, in-person learning in his first 100 days in office.

The Education Department is taking the next step to revise federal rules around campus sexual assault, paving the way for an overhaul of a polarizing Trump-era policy that President Joe Biden has vowed to reverse.

Schools across the U.S. are weighing how to use a windfall from the federal government's latest coronavirus relief package.

The action targets a loan forgiveness program that aims to help people with disabilities but that critics say carries overly burdensome rules. After being granted loan forgiveness, borrowers are required to submit documentation of their earnings for three years. Another 41,000 who had debt reinstated over paperwork issues will again get loan forgiveness, amounting to a combined $1.3 billion. Student Defense, a Washington legal group, said the action helps a small fraction of borrowers eligible for the program. Advocates estimate that nearly 70% of eligible borrowers have not received loan forgiveness and hold an estimated $14 billion in student debt.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the findings, while encouraging, also showed “critical gaps” for in-person learning, especially for students of color. In January, 38% of fourth graders were learning full-time in-person, compared with 28% of eighth graders, the survey found. Among fourth graders, almost half of white students were learning fully in-person, with just over one-quarter learning online. Just 42% of those with disabilities and 34% learning English were enrolled in full-time classroom learning, compared with 38% of all students. AdAmong students learning online, the survey found, the amount of time spent with a live teacher also varied greatly.

WASHINGTON – Thousands of students defrauded by for-profit schools will have their federal loans fully erased, the Biden administration announced Thursday, reversing a Trump administration policy that had given them only partial relief. The change could lead to $1 billion in loans being canceled for 72,000 borrowers, all of whom attended for-profit schools, the Education Department said. The borrower defense to repayment program allows students to have their federal loans canceled if they were defrauded by their schools. The Education Department said a total of 343,331 applications for relief under borrower defense had been received as of Feb. 28. Sen. Patty Murray, who heads the Senate committee overseeing education, said DeVos used “faulty math” to deny student full relief.

“The time is now, and schools must act immediately to get students safely back into school buildings,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Wednesday. As part of that effort, first lady Jill Biden visited a school in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Also Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced $10 billion for states to support school COVID-19 testing programs. That could mean paying teachers and other staff to keep school going through the summer or continuing remote learning to supplement school days. President Biden has ordered states to prioritize teachers in their vaccination plans, and the CDC has released guidelines to help schools reopen.

President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Washington. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses have launched an ambitious tour this week to promote the $1.9 trillion plan as a way to battle the pandemic and boost the economy. “We want to avoid a situation where people are unaware of what they’re entitled to,” Harris said at the culinary academy. “Shots in arms and money in pockets,” Biden said at the White House. And he mocked Biden's talk of Americans working toward merely being able to gather in small groups by July 4th as “bizarre.”The Biden plan cleared Congress without any backing from Republicans, despite polling that found broad public support.

AdBiden and Cardona also visited a Pennsylvania middle school on Wednesday. To help nudge that along, Biden said Tuesday he is pushing states to administer at least one coronavirus vaccination to every teacher, school employee and child-care worker by the end of March. He said the president’s directive that teachers and school staff be vaccinated quickly will be “my top priority.”Later Wednesday, Biden and Cardona visited Fort LeBoeuf Middle School in Waterford, Pennsylvania, where parents told them they appreciated that the school district had sought their opinion about reopening. She and Cardona also visited a robotics class at the middle school and a class for students who need or want a little extra push. Biden asked the teacher in the sensory room whether she had seen anxiety in children increasing because of the pandemic.

Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Biden’s 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's Cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.”The Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.

Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Biden’s 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.”The Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2021, file photo, Education Secretary nominee Miguel Cardona testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Senate has confirmed him as Education Secretary on March 1. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool, File)The Senate voted Monday to confirm Miguel Cardona as education secretary, clearing his way to lead President Joe Biden’s effort to reopen the nation’s schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. AdCardona, who gained attention for his efforts to reopen schools in Connecticut, has vowed to make it his top priority to reopen schools. In an increasingly fractionalized world of education, Cardona has vowed to be a unifier.

More Americans typically turn to community college education amid economic downturns, seeking to learn new job skills or change careers. That troubles advocates and policy makers who cite community colleges as important options for low-income Americans. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, the community colleges enrollment decrease was most pronounced among Black students and Native Americans, groups that both experienced 13% declines over the last year. White and Hispanic community college enrollment fell 10% and Asian enrollment dropped 5%. About 60% of Phoenix College's students are racial minorities, but officials said it’s too early to determine whether minorities experienced disproportionate declines.

Facing criticism that President Joe Biden has not acted aggressively enough on reopening schools, the White House on Thursday said it’s aiming for a full reopening but will defer to science experts on how to achieve it in the middle of a pandemic. The White House drew criticism this week when it said schools would be considered opened if they teach in-person at least one day a week. “I can assure any parent listening that his objective, his commitment, is to ensuring schools are open five days a week,” Psaki said at a press briefing. And this week, the White House said schools would be considered open as long as they teach in-person once a week. Asked why parents should be satisfied with just one day of in-person teaching per week, Psaki appeared to back away from her previous stance.

Some believed it discredited teachers unions that have demanded vaccines before returning to in-person instruction. With the right mix of safety measures in places, teachers unions generally agree the vaccines aren't a condition for reopening. AdBut the plan has drawn fire from critics who say Biden is cowing to teachers unions who see him as an ally. Both of the nation’s two major teachers unions endorsed Biden for president, including the National Education Association, whose 3 million members include first lady Jill Biden, who is a longtime community college professor. Gavin Newsom cited Walensky’s comment as evidence that it’s safe to reopen schools before all teachers get vaccines.

Education Secretary nominee Miguel Cardona testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. On school choice, Cardona said it’s important that families have education options, but that a quality public school must be one of them. Public schools are “the bedrock of our country,” he said, adding that most students attend public schools. AdHis deep roots in public education helped him stand out as a contender to lead the Education Department. During his presidential campaign, Biden had promised to nominate someone with experience in public education.

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2017, photo, flags decorate a space outside the office of the Education Secretary at the Education Department in Washington. President-elect Joe Biden has chosen the education commissioner for Connecticut and a former public school teacher to serve as education secretary. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)President-elect Joe Biden introduced Miguel Cardona as his pick for education secretary on Wednesday, saying Connecticut's education chief and life-long champion of public schools is the right pick to lead the department as the nation struggles to educate students safely during the pandemic. But despite their occasional conflict with him, a coalition of Connecticut education unions supported his candidacy as Biden's education secretary. Beyond the pandemic, Biden's education secretary will also be tasked with reversing an array of policies enacted by DeVos.

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2017, photo, flags decorate a space outside the office of the Education Secretary at the Education Department in Washington. President-elect Joe Biden has chosen the education commissioner for Connecticut and a former public school teacher to serve as education secretary. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Miguel Cardona, Connecticut's education chief and a lifelong champion of public schools, to serve as education secretary. The selection delivers on Biden’s promise to nominate someone with experience working in public education and would fulfill his goal of installing an education chief who stands in sharp contrast to Secretary Betsy DeVos. Despite their occasional conflict with him, a coalition of Connecticut education unions supported his candidacy as Biden's education secretary.