During a House of Representatives hearing on Thursday morning, United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (D) did little to instill confidence that the Biden administration will stand against the progressive theories threatening schools across the country.
The first troubling exchange occurred when Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) asked Cardona whether the controversial “1619 Project” is currently taught in schools. The “1619 Project” is The New York Times’ ongoing effort to place the institution of slavery at the center of American history, and assert that the colonists fought the British for the right to keep their own slaves.
Cardona deflected Walberg’s initial question, saying that the Department of Education does not get involved in this issue. But an unsatisfied Walberg pressed Cardona a second time, to which Cardona replied that students who “see themselves in the curriculum” are “more likely to be engaged” in their education:
Walberg: Let me just move back to the question. Do you agree that the "1619 Project" is a curriculum taught in schools?
Cardona: We don’t get involved, as the federal government, in monitoring curriculum in schools. I think that’s a state responsibility, so I couldn’t answer whether or not it is being taught in schools. What I can tell you is that we don’t have a role, but as an educator I will tell you … When students see themselves in the curriculum, they’re more likely to be engaged. And they’re more likely to feel comfortable and feel a sense of community, that schools are providing as Dr. Rudine Sims-Bishop calls "windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors."
Rudine Sims-Bishop is an Ohio State University professor who has been called the “mother of multicultural children’s literature.” She has written numerous children’s books focusing on social and cultural consciousness, and spoken out about divisive concepts like “whiteness” and gender identity.
Speaking of gender identity, Cardona found himself subjected to questions on the subject during the hearing. Citing a resource released on Wednesday by the Departments of Education and Justice, Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) called upon Cardona to answer how many genders there are.
The Biden administration's Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, refuses to answer a basic question from @RepMaryMiller about how many genders there are.
— Whitney Robertson (@whitneyleerob) June 24, 2021
The party of science, folks?? pic.twitter.com/khfqt8apD4
After his attempt to dodge the question, Miller pressed him a second time. Cardona bluntly refused to answer, implying that he does not believe that there are only two genders.
Attitudes like those held by left-leaning administrators like Miguel Cardona are exactly why parents and teachers across the country are fighting back against the indoctrination of their children. On Tuesday, two people were arrested at a raucous school board meeting in Loudoun County, Va.