Miguel Cardona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel Cardona
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 12th United States Secretary of Education | |
| In office March 2, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Cindy Marten |
| Preceded by | Betsy DeVos |
| Succeeded by | Denise Carter (acting) |
| Commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education | |
| In office August 8, 2019 – March 1, 2021 |
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| Governor | Ned Lamont |
| Preceded by | Dianna Wentzell |
| Succeeded by | Charlene Russell-Tucker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Miguel Angel Cardona
July 11, 1975 Meriden, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Marissa Pérez
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Central Connecticut State University (BS) University of Connecticut (MS, SYC, EdD) |
Miguel Angel Cardona (born July 11, 1975) is an American educator. He served as the 12th Secretary of Education for the United States. He worked under President Joe Biden from March 2, 2021, to January 20, 2025.
Cardona is a member of the Democratic Party. The U.S. Senate approved his appointment with a vote of 64–33. This happened on March 1, 2021. Before this, Cardona was the commissioner for the Connecticut State Department of Education from 2019 to 2021.
He grew up in Meriden, Connecticut. Cardona started his career as a fourth-grade teacher. He taught at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden. In 2003, when he was 27, he became the principal of Meriden's Hanover School. This made him the youngest principal in Connecticut at that time.
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Growing Up and Learning
Miguel Cardona was born on July 11, 1975, in Meriden, Connecticut. His parents were from Puerto Rico. Cardona's first language was Spanish. He began learning English when he started kindergarten.
His father was a police officer in Meriden before he retired. Cardona grew up in a public housing area in Meriden. He went to H.C. Wilcox Technical High School. There, he studied automotive repair. He still visits his old school often. He was even a guest speaker for the class of 2023.
College and Advanced Degrees
Cardona earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1997. He got this degree from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. In 2001, he received a Master of Science degree. This was in bilingual and bicultural education from the University of Connecticut (UConn).
He continued his studies at UConn. In 2004, he completed a special professional program. He then earned his doctorate degree in 2011. His doctoral paper was about how to help students who are learning English. It looked at ways to reduce the learning differences between them and other students.
Miguel Cardona's Career Journey
Cardona began his teaching career as a fourth-grade teacher. He taught at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. In 2003, he became the principal at Hanover Elementary School. He was the youngest principal in the state for ten years.
From 2015 to 2019, Cardona worked as an assistant superintendent. This role involved overseeing teaching and learning in his hometown. He also taught education classes at the University of Connecticut. Throughout his career, he has focused on helping students who are learning English. He worked to close the learning gaps they faced.
Leading Connecticut's Schools
In August 2019, Governor Ned Lamont chose Cardona for a new role. He became the commissioner of education for Connecticut. Cardona was the first Latino person to hold this important position.
During his time as commissioner, Cardona helped guide schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was concerned about how remote education might affect students' mental health in the long run.
Secretary of Education (2021–2025)
Becoming the Secretary
In December 2020, Miguel Cardona was considered for a big job. He was a candidate to become the United States Secretary of Education. This role is part of Joe Biden's team, called his cabinet.
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President Biden chose Cardona over other candidates. This choice helped avoid disagreements between major teachers' unions. Linda Darling-Hammond, who helped Biden find candidates, suggested Cardona. She had worked with him on many projects before.
Cardona spoke to the Senate Committee on February 3, 2021. The Senate approved his nomination on March 1, 2021. He officially took his oath of office that day. Vice President Kamala Harris formally swore him in on March 2, 2021.
Key Actions as Secretary
As Secretary of Education, Cardona worked on programs to help with student loans. These are loans students take out to pay for college. The government tried to forgive (cancel) a large amount of student loan debt. However, the Supreme Court stopped this plan on June 30, 2023.
After this, Cardona announced smaller, more specific programs to forgive student loans. The Department of Education also focused on a program called Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This helps people who work full-time in public service reduce their student debt. By December 2023, the administration had forgiven about $132 billion in student debt.
In December 2023, new, simpler forms for federal student aid (FAFSA) were released. There were some delays and problems with these forms. By March 2024, millions of applications were still waiting to be processed. Colleges had to delay their deadlines for accepting students. Cardona was questioned by Congress about these issues in April and May 2024. He apologized for the problems with the new form.
Personal Life
In 2002, Miguel Cardona married Marissa Pérez. She works as a family-school liaison in schools. Marissa Pérez was named Miss Connecticut in 2001. She was also Miss Connecticut Teen USA in 1996.
Cardona and his wife have two children. Their son is named Miguel Jr., and their daughter is Celine. Cardona is a Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Cardona para niños
