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Miguel Cardona

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For the Colombian-Dutch artist, see Miguel-Ángel Cárdenas.
Miguel Cardona
United States Secretary of Education
Nominee
Assuming office
TBD
PresidentJoe Biden (elect)
SucceedingBetsy DeVos
Education Commissioner of Connecticut
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 8, 2019
GovernorNed Lamont
Preceded byDianna Wentzell
Personal details
Born (1975-07-11) July 11, 1975 (age 49)
Meriden, Connecticut, U.S.
Spouse
Marissa Pérez
​
(m. 2002)​
Children2
EducationCentral Connecticut State University (BS)
University of Connecticut (MS, SYC, EdD)

Miguel Angel Cardona (born July 11, 1975) is an American educator who has served as the Connecticut Commissioner of Education since 2019. He is U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to serve as United States Secretary of Education in his cabinet.[1]

A native of Meriden, Connecticut, Cardona began his career as a fourth-grade teacher at the Israel Putnam School. In 2003, at the age of 27, he was named principal of Hanover School, also in Meriden, making him the youngest principal in the state.[2][3]

Early life and education

Cardona was born on July 11, 1975, in Meriden, Connecticut, to Puerto Rican parents.[4][5] Cardona grew up speaking Spanish as his first language and struggled to learn English when starting kindergarten.[6] He was raised in a housing project in Meriden and graduated from the H.C. Wilcox Technical High School, where he was a part of the automotive studies program.[7][8][9] Cardona earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Central Connecticut State University in 1997. He obtained a a Master of Science in bilingual and bicultural education at University of Connecticut (UConn) in 2001. In 2004, he completed a professional sixth year certification at UCon where he earned a Doctor of Education in 2011.[10][11] Cardona's dissertation entitled, Sharpening the Focus of Political Will to Address Achievement Disparities, studied the gaps between English-language learners and their classmates.[11][6] Cardona's doctoral major advisor was Barry G. Sheckley and his associate advisor was Casey D. Cobb.[11]

Career

Cardona began his career as a fourth-grade teacher of Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. In 2003, at Hanover Elementary School, he was promoted and made the youngest principal in the state's history for ten years. From 2015 to 2019, Cardona served as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in his home town.[12][13] Cardona was also an adjunct professor of education in the University of Connecticut's Department of Educational Leadership.[14] During his career, he has focused on closing gaps between English-language learners and their peers.[6]

In August 2019, Governor Ned Lamont appointed Cardona as Commissioner of Education; Cardona is the first Latino to be appointed to the position.[10][15]

Nominee for Secretary of Education

As of December 2020, though a final decision has not been made, Cardona emerged as a candidate for United States Secretary of Education in president-elect Joe Biden's cabinet. Biden began to lean toward Cardona over two other "high-profile" teachers' union leaders, Lily Eskelsen García and Randi Weingarten. By seemingly choosing Cardona over these two, Biden "appears to have sidestepped any sibling rivalry between the NEA and AFT".[16]

Biden later formally nominated Cardona as Secretary of Education.[17]

Cardona was brought to the attention of Biden through Linda Darling-Hammond, the leader of the transition's efforts, which she also did for Barack Obama in 2008. Darling-Hammond and Cardona have worked together on multiple projects.[18] Politico noted that "Hispanic lawmakers are stressing in particular the need for a Latina to join the administration."[19]

Personal life

In 2002, Cardona married Marissa Pérez, a family-school liaison and former Miss Connecticut (2001).[20][21] They have two children.[10]

References

  1. ^ Merica, Dan; Zeleny, Jeff (December 21, 2020). "Biden poised to nominate Connecticut education chief Miguel Cardona as education secretary". CNN. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Makwana, Rachel R. (May 22, 2003). "New principal is popular pick". Record-Journal. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved December 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Megan, Kathleen (August 21, 2019). "The state's new education commissioner: collaborator, listener, hard worker". The Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "Biden To Pick Connecticut Schools Chief Miguel Cardona As Education Secretary". NPR.org. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  5. ^ "Registered Voters in the State of Connecticut, U.S.A." connvoters.com. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Binkley, Collin; Jaffe, Alexandra; Lemire, Jonathan (December 22, 2020). "Biden picks Connecticut schools chief as education secretary". Associated Press. Retrieved December 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Biden selects CT's Miguel Cardona to lead the U.S. Department of Education". The CT Mirror. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "About CSDE--Commissioner". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  9. ^ "Connecticut's Miguel Cardona in the mix for Biden's education secretary". The CT Mirror. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "About CSDE--Commissioner". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Cardona, Miguel Angel (2011). Sharpening the focus of political will to address achievement disparities. University of Connecticut. OCLC 1196370756.
  12. ^ "Miguel A. Cardona". www.ct.edu. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  13. ^ "Two outsiders emerge as top contenders for Biden's education secretary (Meckler, Strauss)".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Biden to pick Connecticut education commissioner for top schools post". POLITICO. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  15. ^ "Connecticut's Miguel Cardona in the mix for Biden's education secretary". The CT Mirror. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  16. ^ Nichols, Hans. "Biden leaning toward Miguel Cardona for education secretary". Axios. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "DOMESTIC NOMINEES AND APPOINTEES". Biden-Harris transition. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Connecticut's Miguel Cardona in the mix for Biden's education secretary". The CT Mirror. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  19. ^ Barrón-López, Laura. "Hispanic Caucus presses Biden to appoint Latinos to lead Education, Small Business". POLITICO. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  20. ^ "Perez–Cardona". Record-Journal. May 19, 2002. p. 17. Retrieved December 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Alverio, Diane (July 2, 2015). "Meriden's Dr. Miguel Cardona: From Student To Administrator". CT Latino News. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by Education Commissioner of Connecticut
2019–present 		Incumbent
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