[NY Post] "Know your place, peasants!" US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is calling out parents he says are "misbehaving in public" and then "acting like they know what’s right for kids," stating that he doesn’t respect their actions.
Cardona made the comments in an interview on the state of education in the U.S., including the recent Supreme Court decisions on race-based admissions and President Biden’s attempts to relieve student debt.
During the sitdown, Cardona was asked to expand on prior comments that public education was "under attack."
His remarks generated fury on social media, where his comments were interpreted as an insult to concerned parents who have spoken out at school board meetings across the U.S. against COVID mandates, critical race theory and books with too much sexual content.
"I’ve been in education, you know, about 25 years. Not including the time I was in higher ed as a student. I’ve never seen it where it is now," Cardona replied.
"There was civility. We could disagree. We could have healthy conversations around what’s best for kids," he said. "I respect differences of opinion. I don’t have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and then acting as if they know what’s right for kids."
Cardona went on to say, "Or people that have a problem when we’re trying to provide some support for those who are buried in debt complain about a 10 thousand dollar support for thousands of their constituents but are Ok taking over a million dollars in loan forgiveness themselves as an elected official."
"That hypocrisy — I want to call it out at the top of this conversation because there is a team that is fighting for kids and a team that is fighting against kids."
Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily went on X to hit back at Cardona, saying he "openly dismissed thousands of American parents who have been speaking out at school board meetings."
Neily said Cardona’s comments indicate he does not respect differences of opinion.
"Actions speak louder than words — and they reveal that Secretary Cardona does not, in fact, respect differences of opinion," she said in a statement to Fox News.
"Look no further than the fact that in 2022, Cardona’s Education Department chose to shut down its faux ’parents council’ stacked with rubber-stamping elites rather than add any members who would provide viewpoint diversity, and was named by a board member of the NSBA [National School Boards Association] as the instigator of its now-infamous letter."
Related:
Miguel Cardona: 2023-03-01 ‘That is NOT fair': Teachers' union boss Randi Weingarten has complete meltdown over student debt outside SCOTUS and says challenge to student loan handout 'really p****s me off'
Miguel Cardona: 2022-09-03 Randi Weingarten blames politicians for turning teachers into 'social justice warriors'
Miguel Cardona: 2022-06-03 Biden admin to cancel $5.8B in school loans for former Corinthian College students
Miguel Cardona: 2023-03-01 ‘That is NOT fair': Teachers' union boss Randi Weingarten has complete meltdown over student debt outside SCOTUS and says challenge to student loan handout 'really p****s me off'
Miguel Cardona: 2022-09-03 Randi Weingarten blames politicians for turning teachers into 'social justice warriors'
Miguel Cardona: 2022-06-03 Biden admin to cancel $5.8B in school loans for former Corinthian College students