Cardona, whose parents moved to Connecticut from Puerto Rico, would be another high-profile Latino in the cabinet, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Biden said, Cardona “understands the deep roots of inequality that exist as a source of our persistent gaps in opportunity. He understands the transformative power that comes from investment in education.”
Cardona said that as an education commissioner, a public school parent and a former public school teacher in the classroom, he understands how challenging this year has been for students, educators and parents.
“It has taken some of our most painful, long-standing inequalities and made them even bigger,” said Cardona, first publicly as Biden’s nominee. He said that “for too many students, your zip code and your skin color remain the best predictors of the opportunities you will have in your life.”
He added: “ While we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we also know that this crisis is ongoing, that we will bear its consequences for years to come and that the problems and inequalities that have plagued our education system have long been before Covid will still be with us even after the virus is gone. ”
Biden reiterated on Wednesday that safely reopening schools would be a national priority for his administration and spoke of the challenges facing students, educators and administrators during the coronavirus pandemic.
“They’re worried. They’re under stress. They’re stretching local budgets, leaving teachers out of work,” Biden said.
Biden pledged to push Congress to provide additional economic aid to Americans, including funding to “keep teachers in work.”
CNN was the first to report that Cardona would be nominated for the role.
Cardona was appointed as a commissioner of education in Connecticut by Democratic Governor Ned Lamont in August 2019. He came into the position with two decades of experience as an educator at a public school out of the town of Meriden, according to the state website, after finishing his career as an elementary school teacher and later as a school principal for 10 years. In 2013, Cardona became the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had urged the president-elect to elect him. During the cabinet selection process, Biden has faced pressure to deliver on his promise to nominate people who reflect America’s diversity.
Biden has said getting kids back to school safely will be one of his top priorities when he takes office in January. In a recent speech outlining his plan to address the pandemic, he said that if Congress provides the necessary funding to protect students, faculty and staff and if Americans follow strict public health measures, “ my team will work to ensure that a majority of us schools may be open by the end of my first 100 days. “
During his presidential campaign, Biden proposed guaranteeing two years of free community college or other training as part of a higher education plan that would also aim to reduce student loan obligations. His plan includes new spending to improve access to college for low-income, minority, and undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.