GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona kicked off the 2024 Back to School Bus Tour tour in Green Bay on Tuesday.
Secretary Cardona addressed students at an assembly at Jackson Elementary School, surrounded by administrators and Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich.
Fox Valley Labor Day Parade and Picnic celebrates everyday workers, highlights women in trades
He talked about the tools the Biden-Harris Administration has used to “Fight for Public Education,” including grants, supporting native languages, and ensuring high-quality public education in underserved communities.
“That’s what we’re celebrating on this bus tour: public education,” stated Secretary Cardona. “Public schools are the place where students find themselves and reach their potential.”
Throughout the week, Secretary Cardona, Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, and Under Secretary James Kvaal will speak with students, parents, and educators at events celebrating students returning to school and addressing the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to help students and communities improve academic achievement.
“That’s part of the fighting for education bus tours, making sure that we have well-resourced schools, well-funded schools, and supported schools,” he explained. “Multilingualism is a part of that, and it’s also embracing students’ native cultures; we come from different parts, but that’s the beauty of this.”
Having been an educator himself, Cardona said his favorite aspect of the tour is interacting with the students and learning what makes each classroom and school district special.
“Being in schools, being in libraries, in classrooms, hearing from students, families, teachers, it’s really reinforcement of what we need to continue to do in D.C. to fight for public education.”
Gina Zacharias, the Principal at Annie Jackson Elementary School, told Local 5’s Samantha Petters that having Secretary Cardona visit her school offered students and staff an opportunity to highlight their accomplishments.
“It was an honor for our students, for our families, for our staff to have him stop and see all of the wonderful things that are happening here at Jackson Elementary,” she said. “Seeing the playground, interacting with the students, seeing the different programming we have.”
She added that Cardona’s message of unity and inclusion spoke volumes because she wants students at Jackson Elementary and all public schools to feel welcome, accepted, and loved.
Construction begins after groundbreaking ceremony for Neenah Boys & Girls Club
“No matter who they are and where they come from, there is this opportunity here in our education system to be who they are and to be the best that they can be,” stated Zacharias.
The Back to School Bus Tour will also feature stops in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
