Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced additional details about the first installment of its Equity Summit Series, to be held virtually on Tuesday, June 22nd. The program will feature welcome remarks prerecorded by First Lady Jill Biden, participation from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, leaders and educators from across the country, and student performances. The event is the first of a series of Equity Summits the Department is holding over the coming months that will focus on how, as schools and campuses continue to reopen and welcome students back for in-person instruction, they must not return to the status quo.

The first installment of the Equity Summit Series, “Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools,” will explore how schools and communities can reimagine our school systems so that every student has a voice in their school and classroom, particularly students from underserved communities, including communities of color, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners. Participants will discuss the historic investments in the American Rescue Plan aimed at advancing equity in school reopening efforts, as well as how the proposals outlined in President Biden’s FY2022 Budget, the American Families Plan, and the American Jobs Plan can address inequities that were exacerbated by the pandemic and help build truly equitable schools across the country. The event will also feature discussions on how students can access a high-quality education responsive to their needs, and how schools can create more culturally and linguistically responsive and inclusive learning environments for all students.

The full agenda for the first installment of the Equity Summit Series can be found below. To sign up to attend the summit click here.

Equity Summit Series: Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools

Date/time: Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
Welcome remarks by First Lady Jill Biden
Remarks and introduction by 2021 RISE Award Winner Melito Ramirez, Intervention Specialist, Walla Walla High School, Walla Walla, Washington
Remarks by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
Panel Discussion: Equity in K-12: Challenges and best practices, featuring:

• Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten
• Pedro Noguera, dean, USC Rossier School of Education
• Alberto Carvalho, superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• Rosemarie Eller, board president, White Plains Public Schools
• Baruti Kafele, former principal from Newark, New Jersey
• Alejandro Diasgranados, fourth- and fifth-grade teacher, Aiton Elementary School and 2021 Washington, D.C. Teacher of the Year
• Olivia Carter, school counselor, Jefferson Elementary School, Cape Girardeau, Missouri and 2021 School Counselor of the Year

Spotlight on Advancing Equity at the School District Level

• Pedro Noguera will moderate two discussions spotlighting efforts at the school district level to advance equity, featuring representatives and students from Miami-Dade, Florida, and White Plains, New York

Closing Remarks by Dr. Anton Reece, president, West Kentucky Community and Technical College The event will also feature multiple student performances throughout the program.