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President-elect Joe Biden elected the Connecticut Commissioner of Education and advocate for public schools, Miguel Cardona, as your Secretary of Education.
The choice fulfills the promise of Biden of nominating someone with experience in public education and with their goal of appointing an education incumbent whose position contrasts with that of Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Unlike DeVos, who Biden states that he opposes public schools, Cardona She is a product of them since she entered kindergarten without speaking English.
In the announcement of his nomination, first shared with The Associated Press, Biden said Cardona It would offer the United States “a dedicated and experienced public education teacher at the head of the Department of Education.”
“It will help us address systematic inequalities, combat the mental education crisis in our education system, give educators a well-deserved raise, alleviate education debt, and ensure universal, high-quality education for preschoolers aged three. and four years throughout the country, “he said Biden it’s a statement”.
“As a promoter of public education throughout his life, he understands that our children are the kite strings that keep our national ambitions afloat and that everything will be possible for our country tomorrow thanks to the investments we make and the attention that today our educators and schools offer ”.
According to a source familiar with the decision Biden, the selection of Cardona It is due in part to his experience as a former teacher, public school administrator, and someone who has had experience in the position from day one.
Cardona He was appointed to the top position of Education in the state of Connecticut just months before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March. When schools switched to remote teaching, Cardona made it possible for more than 100,000 laptops to be quickly delivered to students across the state. Since then, however, he has lobbied schools to return to face-to-face classes, claiming that it is not good to keep students at home.
If confirmed in office, his first task will be to expand that effort nationwide. Biden he has committed to reopening most American schools by the end of his first 100 days in office. Biden He has promised new federal guidelines for the reopening of schools and a “large-scale” campaign by the Secretary of Education to identify and share the best forms of teaching during a pandemic.
Advocates for public education and the nation’s leading teacher unions praised the choice of Cardona. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said that Cardona he was a “trusted partner” who will reverse four years of “disaster” under DeVos.
“His deep respect for educators and their unions will accompany him to Washington; and that commitment to collaboration is crucial to providing the resources and social and emotional support to reopen schools safely, ”Weingarten said.
Advocates of school free choice expressed relief that Biden did not elect contenders with closer ties to teachers’ unions, and some are hopeful that Cardona will support privately run public schools, and other options that go beyond traditional public schools.
Cardona, 45, grew up in a housing complex in Meriden, Connecticut, and attended several city public schools before returning to work as a fourth-grade teacher in the district in 1998. By age 28, he had become the youngest director in the state, before ascending to the position of assistant district superintendent.
As an educator, he has dedicated his work to improving the education of English learners and closing achievement gaps between non-white students and their white peers. Both problems have been an eternal struggle in Connecticut, which for decades has had one of the widest performance gaps in the nation.
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