Lowering standards for teachers is "unfortunate," Education secretary says

More competitive pay — not lowering standards for educators — should be a key part of addressing a national teacher shortage, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

“Unless we're serious about providing competitive salaries for our educators, better working conditions, so that they can continue to grow ... we're going to constantly deal with shortage issues, especially in our areas that are harder to teach or where there are less candidates," Cardona told host Margaret Brennan.

Teachers should also have a voice in the "process of reopening and reimagining our schools," Cardona said.

The secretary addressed states that have lowered standards for educators to recruit more staff, calling the measures "unfortunate."

Arizona no longer requires teachers to have a bachelor's degree, and Florida is offering temporary teaching credentials to veterans without certifications.

"Our students need more now, not less … I do not support lowering any standards for qualifications with teachers," Cardona said.

The United States is facing a national shortage of 300,000 teachers and school staff, according to the National Education Association.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, defended streamlining processes to certify teachers, saying he detested "the rigmarole" that slowed things down.

"Streamlining the regulatory and permitting and certification processes, whether it's teachers or manufacturers, that's an opportunity every state has," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "We're doing it here. We're streamlining our whole thing."