With former teacher Joy Behar moderating Friday’s episode of The View, the ABC hosts teamed up with President Biden’s Education secretary, Miguel Cardona to blast the idea that states should have the right to determine what their education standards should be and what’s in their curriculums. They also bemoaned that the Supreme Court had struck down discriminatory affirmative action programs, but Cardona let something seemingly contradictory to their narrative slip.
At one point, faux-conservative co-host Ana Navarro praised Cardona and Biden for hiring him. “Can I say that I think Joe Biden recruited very damn well when it comes to the secretary of education,” she proclaimed. “You make me so incredibly proud and the way you represent this fills my heart every time you’re here and every time I see you.”
She then launched into her usual screed about how horrible her home state of Florida was and pushed the debunked lie that the state was teaching students slavery was a good thing. She then teed up Cardona to say red states like Florida were working to harm kids:
But we could spend an entire show on what's happening on my home state of Florida. Florida schools are a mess. They’re teaching kids that some black people personally benefited from slavery and there's so many books that have been banned that pop singer Pink is actually giving them out in her Florida concerts. So, the culture wars being waged you've said very bluntly, “There is a team that is fighting for kids and a team that is fighting against kids.” What do you mean by that?
Cardona reacted by decrying how there were education and parental activists “trying to give local control” of education systems and curriculums. He recalled that when he was a teacher, he “didn’t want” the federal government or the state government “telling me what to teach.”
“Yet we have state governments taking control of what teachers and parents could decide for their kids. We need to wake up and see what's happening. Not only in Florida but in other states,” he proclaimed.
Racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin was still upset that the Supreme Court had struck down racist and discriminatory affirmative action programs at college campuses. So, she wanted Cardona to elaborate more on his past ridiculous statements about the supposed return of “Jim Crow”:
This past summer the Supreme Court overturned nearly 50 years of affirmative action in college admissions. And you called recently that a new low point and warned, quote, “We are in danger of a new Jim Crow era in some parts of this country.” Are we already seeing the effects of that decision and in your view how long will the impact last?
Cardona initially stated: “Look, we cannot rest until the diversity on our campuses reflects the beautiful diversity of our country. That's what makes this country special. And, unfortunately, we're not there.”
But as he spoke, he seemed to let slip that schools were replacing affirmative action with other programs that were set to have better results at diversifying campuses than affirmative action. “But what I am seeing college presidents doubling down; they’re recruiting better, they’re engaging with K-12 institutions. We have an opportunity to really go better than what the affirmative action results are,” he admitted.
As they were wrapping up the segment, Behar quipped to Cardona: “You get an ‘A’ from this teacher.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
November 17, 2023
11:34:04 a.m. Eastern(…)
SUNNY HOSTIN: But let me ask you this in terms of inclusivity, this past summer the Supreme Court overturned nearly 50 years of affirmative action in college admissions. And you called recently that a new low point and warned, quote, “we are in danger of a new Jim Crow era in some parts of this country.”
SECRETARY MIGUEL CARDONA (Department of Education): Yeah.
HOSTIN: Are we already seeing the effects of that decision and in your view how long will the impact last?
CARDONA: Look, we cannot rest until the diversity on our campuses reflects the beautiful diversity of our country. That's what makes this country special.
HOSTIN: Yeah.
[Applause]
CARDONA: And, unfortunately, we're not there. And the Supreme Court decision, in my opinion, took us a step backward. But what I am seeing college presidents doubling down; they’re recruiting better, they’re engaging with K-12 institutions. We have an opportunity to really go better than what the affirmative action results are. We need to hold ourselves accountable and we need to remind colleges that we want our children to go to schools where they'll learn with people that are different than them.
HOSTIN: Yes.
SARA HAINES: And they’re eliminating legacy and other things and a lot have taken the lead on that.
ANA NAVARRO: Can I say that I think Joe Biden recruited very damn well when it comes to the secretary of education.
CARDONA: Thank you.
[Applause]
NAVARRO: You make me so incredibly proud and the way you represent this fills my heart every time you’re here and every time I see you.
CARDONA: Thank you. Appreciate that.
NAVARRO: But we could spend an entire show on what's happening on my home state of Florida. Florida schools are a mess. They’re teaching kids that some black people personally benefited from slavery and there's so many books that have been banned that pop singer Pink is actually giving them out in her Florida concerts. So, the culture wars being waged you've said very bluntly, “there is a team that is fighting for kids and a team that is fighting against kids.” What do you mean by that?
CARDONA: Look, look at what we're trying to do. We're trying to open doors for all kids. You [Alyssa Farah Griffin] talked earlier about, like, the G.I. Bill. Public service loan forgiveness is that for public servants to get them into professions, nurses. Like, we're trying and then we have a team that's trying to cut funding. We have a team that's trying to give local control, that's what we – as a teacher I didn't want the federal government telling me what to teach or the state government. Yet we have state governments taking control of what teachers and parents could decide for their kids. We need to wake up and see what's happening. Not only in Florida but in other states.
[Applause]
JOY BEHAR: Well, it's been a pleasure having you here today. Keep up the good work like she said, I approve.
CARDONA: Great! Thank you.
BEHAR: You get an "A" from this teacher.
