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 | Linda McMahon |
| 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 on July 11, 1975, is an American educator. He was the 12th United States Secretary of Education for President Joe Biden. He held this important role from March 2, 2021, to January 20, 2025. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination on March 1, 2021. Before this, Cardona was the commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education from 2019 to 2021.
Cardona grew up in Meriden, Connecticut. He started his career as a fourth-grade teacher. In 2003, at age 27, he became the principal of Hanover School in Meriden. This made him the youngest principal in Connecticut at that time.
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Early Life and School
Miguel Cardona was born on July 11, 1975, in Meriden, Connecticut. His parents are 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.
Cardona grew up in a housing project in Meriden. He went to H.C. Wilcox Technical High School. There, he studied automotive repair. He often visits his old high school. He was a guest speaker for the class of 2023.
College Education
Cardona earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He received it from Central Connecticut State University in 1997. In 2001, he earned 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 professional sixth-year certification. He earned a doctorate degree in 2011. His doctoral paper looked at how to help English-language learners catch up with their classmates.
Career in Education
Miguel Cardona started teaching fourth grade. He taught at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. In 2003, he became a principal at Hanover Elementary School. He was the youngest principal in the state for ten years. From 2015 to 2019, he worked as an assistant superintendent. This role was in his hometown.
Cardona also taught education at the University of Connecticut. He focused on helping students who were learning English. He worked to close the learning gaps between these students and their peers.
Commissioner of Education
In August 2019, Governor Ned Lamont chose Cardona for a new role. He became the commissioner of education. Cardona was the first Latino person to hold this position. During his time as commissioner, he helped schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was worried about how remote education might affect students' mental health.
Secretary of Education (2021–2025)
In December 2020, Miguel Cardona was considered for a big job. He was a candidate for United States Secretary of Education. President Joe Biden chose Cardona for his cabinet.
Becoming Secretary
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Linda Darling-Hammond suggested Cardona to President Biden. She helped Biden find candidates for education secretary. Cardona and Darling-Hammond had worked together before. Some lawmakers wanted a Hispanic woman in the administration.
Cardona spoke to the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on February 3, 2021. The Senate approved his nomination on March 1, 2021. He took his oath of office that day. Vice President Kamala Harris officially swore him in on March 2, 2021.
Key Actions as Secretary
As Secretary of Education, Cardona worked on programs to help with student loans. The government tried to forgive a large amount of student debt. However, the Supreme Court stopped this plan on June 30, 2023.
After this, Cardona announced smaller programs. These programs helped specific groups of people with their student loans. The Department of Education also focused on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. This program helps people who work full-time in public service. By December 2023, the administration had forgiven about $132 billion in student debt.
In December 2023, new, simpler Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms were released. There were some delays and problems with these forms. By late March 2024, there were millions of applications waiting. Colleges had to delay their deadlines for financial aid offers. Cardona spoke to Congress about these issues in April and May 2024. He apologized for the problems.
Personal Life
In 2002, Miguel Cardona married Marissa Pérez. She works as a family-school liaison. 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 Miguel Jr., and their daughter is Celine. Cardona is Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Cardona para niños
