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Signifying a major shift in federal education priorities, Miguel Cardona, a relative unknown on the national education landscape, was sworn in on Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of Education by Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Congratulations, Mr. Secretary, and to your whole family, and to your parents,” exclaimed Harris to Cardona and his wife and two children, the only ones in attendance. All of them wore masks.
The brief swearing in ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House followed a bipartisan vote by the U.S. Senate after Cardona’s confirmation hearing on Monday. The 64-33 vote was a hopeful sign that at least some education issues will enjoy bipartisan support in the evenly divided Senate.
The 45-year-old Cardona will be one of the youngest secretaries to occupy the position since it was established when the Dept. of Education was created in 1980. Arne Duncan, President Obama’s secretary of education, was 43 when he took up the post.
His uncontested confirmation was in sharp contrast to that of Cardona’s predecessor Betsy DeVos, who was confirmed by the narrowest of margins. At the time, two Republicans joined all 48 Democrats in the Senate to vote against DeVos.
Vice President Pence had to cast the deciding vote — thought to be the first time in U.S. history that the vice president was needed to confirm a cabinet secretary nominee.
This time, Vice President Harris’ vote was not needed to get the nomination through, even though she will likely need to come to the Capitol to assure passage of other legislation opposed by the GOP, in light of the fact that Democrats have only 50 seats in the chamber.
Cardona’s path was no doubt eased by the fact that until a little over two years ago, he was an assistant superintendent in Meriden, Connecticut before being selected by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont in Aug. 2019 to be commissioner of education for the state. As a result, his positions on numerous education issues are not yet known, or at least not clearly spelled out.
As a sign of the transformed political landscape, Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, is now the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, taking the place of the former Republican chair Sen. Lamar Alexander, D-TN, who has retired.
“At this moment of crisis, Dr. Cardona is exactly the leader we need at the Department of Education,” said Murray. “He has the experience, principles and perspective that we need in this critical role.
Cardona’s first major challenge will be to implement the Biden administration’s pledge to open the nation’s elementary schools within 100 days of taking office, even though the federal government has limited influence over what states and school districts do regarding administration of local schools. Beyond pandemic-related issues, he will be the public spokesperson and advocate for President Biden’s expansive education agenda, arguably the most ambitious of any president.
Cardona avoided any controversial statements during the 2 1/2 hour confirmation hearing Monday.
On charter schools, for example, Cardona said “I recognize there are excellent examples of charter schools. I’ve seen many in Connecticut.” At the same time, he said, “I know there are also phenomenal examples of neighborhood schools that are doing just as great work.”
Regarding the issue of whether schools would be required to administer standardized tests, he demurred on issuing an answer, even though the acting assistant secretary of education has already told states tests would be required, although with greater flexibility than during a non-pandemic year.
“I don’t think we need to be bringing students in just to test them on a standardized test. I don’t think that makes any sense,” Cardona said. Yet he also pointed to the importance of the tests. “If we don’t assess where our students are — and their level of performance — it’s going to be difficult for us to provide some targeted support and a resource allocation in a manner that can best support the closing of the gaps that have been exacerbated due to the pandemic.”
Panelists discussed dual admission as a solution for easing the longstanding challenges in California’s transfer system.
A grassroots campaign recalled two members of the Orange Unified School District in an election that cost more than half a million dollars.
Legislation that would remove one of the last tests teachers are required to take to earn a credential in California passed the Senate Education Committee.
Part-time instructors, many who work for decades off the tenure track and at a lower pay rate, have been called “apprentices to nowhere.”
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Debra Lewis 7 months ago7 months ago
Hello Dr. Cardona, Just wondering why after paying 47 payments on my student loans plus 10+ years of wages being garnished due to me not being able to keep up. I defaulted on my loans (due to raising 2 young men today as a single mother, the first in a large family to even go to college & not getting good advice about loans at the time, etc.). The … Read More
Hello Dr. Cardona,
Just wondering why after paying 47 payments on my student loans plus 10+ years of wages being garnished due to me not being able to keep up. I defaulted on my loans (due to raising 2 young men today as a single mother, the first in a large family to even go to college & not getting good advice about loans at the time, etc.).
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program does not acknowledge my wages being garnished for 10+ years for defaulting and it actually is penalizing me more. Why can’t this money being garnished from my paycheck twice a month be counted towards years of legitimate payments??? The money was not taken from someone else’s check for my loans. It was taken from my family – $500-600 a month for 10+ years.
I have worked in Non-Profit Public Service for the city & state for 30+ years & my loans are more now than when I got them (over $300,000). I will be 65 this month – a time when most people are looking to retire. But I enjoy helping people & seeing positive change – so I plan on staying in the field as long as I can. However, I am working with an approximately $300,000 debt that I will probably die before this can be paid off.
This is a debt that can never be paid off without you & your Committees making the rules fit all payments made, especially from the borrower’s check. This payment should not be ignored or seen as payments that don’t exist because I am back at now paying 12 more years. Please help.
Alfreda Martin 2 years ago2 years ago
I have been in Education for 39 plus years. Been paying on my student loans for years. I retired August 31,2021. Just found out I that I was credited 123 payments but only 117 are eligible towards my PSLF and TEPSLF and in order for me to get the loan forgiveness I would have go back and work full time for three more months. Please help with this matter. I am 68 will be 69 … Read More
I have been in Education for 39 plus years. Been paying on my student loans for years. I retired August 31,2021. Just found out I that I was credited 123 payments but only 117 are eligible towards my PSLF and TEPSLF and in order for me to get the loan forgiveness I would have go back and work full time for three more months. Please help with this matter. I am 68 will be 69 on Monday who will hire me for 3 months.
Michele Cook 2 years ago2 years ago
Dr. Cardona,
We need to have loan forgiveness for those who are in the education field and needed to continue our education to be able to make a living wage. Please consider that many of us, such as myself, are in our 60s and are facing retirement with large school debt.
Kevin Lorusso 2 years ago2 years ago
Congratulations! We the people would like you to check the curriculum that has been and is being taught to our students (our country’s next leaders). We pray you are not corrupt and don’t politicize our next generation of leaders. History is a great learning tool, and should not be altered for any reason. Thank you!
Marlene Brown 2 years ago2 years ago
The latest school shooting in Michigan exemplifies a major problem with public education ... administration does not support teachers when it comes to discipline and parent demands. This administration chose to send an obviously disturbed student back to class rather than buck the parents who refused to get their child some help. This young man should have been sent home, sent to a facility for evaluation, or the police should have been contacted. … Read More
The latest school shooting in Michigan exemplifies a major problem with public education … administration does not support teachers when it comes to discipline and parent demands. This administration chose to send an obviously disturbed student back to class rather than buck the parents who refused to get their child some help. This young man should have been sent home, sent to a facility for evaluation, or the police should have been contacted.
The teachers did their job, they reported two very serious issues with the young man. If these teachers would have ignored the issues, they certainly would be facing serious consequences.
Bernadette Stinson 3 years ago3 years ago
I have been trying to get a student loan forgiveness since 2009. I would like to come and talk before Congress about this and how I have been treated. I am now retired and can’t make the high payments. I have written even other congresspeople about this.
Jeanne Greatorex 3 years ago3 years ago
All testing – standardized or others – should be done to benefit the students. That means that every student should always be shown what questions or material he answered incorrectly.
If the definition of education is to teach, then a student must be shown what areas of study he needs to work on.
Chris 3 years ago3 years ago
I know there has been much discussion on eliminating the student loans for those who have not paid, Also discussion on the people who kept their responsibility and paid off their loans. What about the people who could not better their education and get better paying jobs because they could not or did not take out student loans? If you are going to give money to those who are not living up to … Read More
I know there has been much discussion on eliminating the student loans for those who have not paid, Also discussion on the people who kept their responsibility and paid off their loans. What about the people who could not better their education and get better paying jobs because they could not or did not take out student loans?
If you are going to give money to those who are not living up to their responsibility then you should pay those who could not get their loans. After all, when you look at it, a person who could not pay for their education must pay for someone else’s. This is not fair.
Colleen Derringer 3 years ago3 years ago
After all loan forgiveness but for the Frontline teachers, who are working with Special needs children. These teachers should also have loan forgiveness. The lender has us pay $300. To $400. Or more payments. The interest and the payments are always just what interest is charged. So nothing is leaving the capital amount So, Mr. Secretary, please help these struggling teachers who are doing their best for these special need children and in a 12+ … Read More
After all loan forgiveness but for the Frontline teachers, who are working with Special needs children. These teachers should also have loan forgiveness. The lender has us pay $300. To $400. Or more payments. The interest and the payments are always just what interest is charged. So nothing is leaving the capital amount
So, Mr. Secretary, please help these struggling teachers who are doing their best for these special need children and in a 12+ hour days and can be up to 7 day stretches.
Please help us by taking one more weight off of our shoulders.
LaTonya 3 years ago3 years ago
Congratulation on your appointment. I would like to see something done about student loans, that the colleges has been found to be fraudulent, but we still pay the loans back, which is unfair, as the degree is not worth the paper it’s printed on. I am sure that I am not the only person this has happened to. I’m sure it’s millions of us. Something Needs To Be Done !!
Sharon 3 years ago3 years ago
Congratulations Mr. Cardona on your appointment as the US Secretary of Education. Hoping to see additional assistance with college student loans for students and their parents.
Margaret Murray 3 years ago3 years ago
Congratulations! Please consider supporting more trade schools to enhance the number of individuals able to work on infrastructure projects. With all the college graduates we have lost a lot of people with the skill and knowledgeable to perform the work. Thank you.
Colleen 3 years ago3 years ago
I think that school teachers should get some, not all, relief on their student loans. The payments really do not get anything down, only paying interest. Also the payments they want are well over what teachers’ pay is. They don’t get paid enough and their insurance is high and really are not good if you have dependents.
I speak as I see my daughter struggling to make ends meet.
Debby Parkinson 3 years ago3 years ago
I am a retired teacher and I think many retired teachers could help with immigration. Just like the Peace Corps, a teacher corps could be formed to go to the border and help with education and acculturalization. We could be helpful.
Replies
Janice B. Lamar 3 years ago3 years ago
I agree with you!
Ann Marie Sopha 3 years ago3 years ago
Dr. Cardona exemplifies true support of public education, a promising change!