U.S. Education Secretary Highlights Role of Schools in Encouraging Vaccinations, In-Person Learning

In Connecticut and across the country, the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic is putting competing pressures on school districts and schools seeking to keep students in classes while assuring the safety of students and teachers.

Leading national policy on these issues is U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, a former Connecticut Commissioner of Education and principal and teacher in the Meriden Public Schools.

Speaking on the Community Health Center’s podcast Conversations on Health Care, Cardona acknowledged the challenges, but said decisions should continue to be based on up-to-date recommendations from health professionals and guidelines from the CDC.

Cardona said that as we’re deep into the second year of the pandemic, natural fatigue among the public is making it tougher to navigate the various policy decisions that must be made, and that “politics is getting in the way of good health policy.” 

“A safe working environment, a safe learning environment, is critical,” he stressed, adding “everyone wants our kids in school, we all know the benefits of in-person learning…we have to leave public health to the experts, we have to do everything in our power to keep children safe.”

When asked if students should be kept out of school if they are not vaccinated, Cardona noted that “vaccines are the most important tool we have” to “prevent disease spread and to prevent severity.” Regarding vaccination policy, however, he indicated that “those are local and state decisions.”  Cardona said he personally encouraged such a requirement, added that “schools have a pole in promoting vaccinations.”

Cardona said he has observed that in locations were vaccination levels are higher, there is less disruptions to schools – and fewer hospitalizations. 

Regarding the numerous philosophical division in the nation, Cardona said schools can contribute to bringing people together.

“Schools are hubs of the community that bring people together,” Cardona explained.  “It’s the American thing to do to listen to different perspectives,” and then come together, “especially around our students, our children.” He added that schools should be listening as parents of different perspectives have their say, as well as student voices, particularly as education is re-imagined post-COVID.

Cardona, who was an English-language learner as a youth, saluted is hometown community of Meriden, and its diversity, as an asset that has been beneficial throughout his career.  He cited the ability to problem-solve and to engage with people of different expertise, experiences and backgrounds, which has been particularly relevant in navigating the pandemic’s impact on education.

His aim, Cardona explained, is to do what is best for students and help to lead our country forward – and his career to date has been filled with what he describes as a “prerequisites” to meeting today’s challenges.

Conversations on Health Care® features in-depth discussions on health policy and innovation with industry newsmakers from around the globe.  The podcast is co-hosted by Mark Masselli, president, CEO, and founder of Community Health Center, Inc., Connecticut’s largest provider of medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare for the underserved. It  is co-hosted by Margaret Flinter, Senior Vice President and Clinical Director of the Community Health Center, Inc. and a family nurse practitioner by profession. CHC is based in Middletown, with multiple locations across the state.