Connecticut Education Commissioner Dr. Miguel Cardona was nominated to become the next U.S. Secretary of Education. Dr. Cardona appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on February 3, 2021. He has been a public educator his entire life, serving as an elementary school teacher, school administrator, and most recently as the education commissioner for Connecticut.
In his opening statement at the hearing, Dr. Cardona focused on the importance of family, equity, and “removing silos” for maximizing impacts on all students. Dr. Cardona spoke about a range of topics from school reopening and student loan relief, to vaccinating teachers and Biden’s 100-day plan. He vowed to uphold civil rights of all students, regardless of their gender identity, and supports the president’s plan to back Congressional action to cancel $10,000 of student debt. HELP Committee members spent most of the hearing discussing the safe reopening of schools, how to provide social/emotional and mental health support to students who have faced increased trauma and hardship this year, how to address learning loss, and conducting high-stakes testing this spring.
“Dr. Cardona is a proven, collaborative leader, a champion for public schools, and an excellent choice to lead the Department of Education through the challenges ahead,” said HELP Committee Chair Senator Patty Murray. Cardona’s nomination passed the committee by a vote of 17-5.
“I congratulate our friend Dr. Miguel Cardona on the committee approval of his nomination to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education. This is the latest step toward our country having a true ambassador for public education efforts across the nation. The committee on a bipartisan basis recognized what we have known in Connecticut for a while – Dr. Cardona is a tireless advocate for children, understands the classroom as a former educator, and how schools operate from the top down as an administrator. I look forward to seeing the full U.S. Senate confirming his nomination,” said Governor Lamont.