{"id":185722,"date":"2021-03-01T19:15:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T00:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=185722"},"modified":"2021-03-01T19:15:07","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T00:15:07","slug":"bidens-education-secretary-confirmed-asks-america-to-reimagine-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-education-secretary-confirmed-asks-america-to-reimagine-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden\u2019s Education Secretary Confirmed, Asks America To \u2018Reimagine Education\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbidens-education-secretary-confirmed-asks-america-to-reimagine-education%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=185722&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Miguel-Cardona.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The Senate confirmed Dr. Miguel A. Cardona to lead the Education Department on Monday. The final vote was 64 to 33.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are no shortages of challenges ahead, no shortage of problems for us to solve. But by the same token, there are countless opportunities for us to seize,\u201d \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.courant.com\/politics\/hc-pol-cardona-education-secretary-biden-20201223-2zx733gsojciffsdvxif5w5a5y-story.html\">said<\/a> Cordona after accepting the nomination in December. \u201cWe must embrace the opportunity to reimagine education \u2013 and build it back better. We must evolve it to meet the needs of our students.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Past Education Secretary Senate confirmations:<br \/>Miguel Cardona (2021) 64-33<br \/>Betsy DeVos (2017) 51-50<br \/>John King (2016) 49-40<br \/>Arne Duncan (2009), Margaret Spellings (2005), Rod Paige (2001), Richard Riley (1993) and Lamar Alexander (1991), all by voice vote<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CraigCaplan\/status\/1366527602131894272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Cardona, 45, is new to the national stage, spending most of his professional career working in the public education system in his hometown of Meriden, Connecticut. He started out as a fourth-grade elementary school teacher, became the youngest principal in the state in 2013, then assumed the role of assistant superintendent at the district\u2019s central office ten years later.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Cardona has a background, qualifications, temperament to serve as Secretary of Education,\u201d U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcconnecticut.com\/news\/local\/nomination-of-miguel-cardona-for-secretary-of-education-heads-to-u-s-senate\/2433532\/\">said<\/a> last week. \u201cHe stressed the need for students to get back in school and that\u2019s now finally a bipartisan mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Governor Ned Lamont appointed Cardona as Connecticut\u2019s education commissioner in August 2019. He was the first Latino to hold that office.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Cardona <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2020\/06\/18\/achievement-gaps-for-english-learners-linger-troubling-cts-first-hispanic-education-chief\/\">reportedly<\/a> has a master\u2019s degree in bilingual education.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Let&#8217;s Heal, Learn, and Grow Together! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5JtBYhs0TX\">https:\/\/t.co\/5JtBYhs0TX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Miguel A. Cardona (@teachcardona) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/teachcardona\/status\/1344763890580779008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 31, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe American public school system has been phenomenal,\u201d Cardona <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/1344407477073424392\">said<\/a> in a video promoting his confirmation. \u201cHowever, it also has its flaws. Zip code, skin color in many cases, are still determinants of success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courant.com\/politics\/hc-pol-cardona-education-secretary-biden-20201223-2zx733gsojciffsdvxif5w5a5y-story.html\">According<\/a> to the Harford Courant, Cardona \u201cis known for his focus on addressing racial and economic achievement gaps in Connecticut, as well as for being a strong proponent of keeping schools open during the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, voted against Cardona\u2019s confirmation, saying Cardona would take orders from President Biden rather than setting the education agenda.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, it is not his Connecticut policies that he will be championing as Biden\u2019s education chief, it is the president\u2019s union-focused progressive policies,\u201d Sen. Scott <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postandcourier.com\/opinion\/commentary\/tim-scott-why-im-voting-against-bidens-nominee-for-education-secretary\/article_81cbdf72-711b-11eb-8922-bfc6f399677e.html\">said<\/a>. \u201cIf Cardona follows the Biden plan to pit teacher unions against parents and students, our kids will never get the education they truly deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The son of Puerto Rican parents, Cardona has called public education \u201cthe great equalizer\u201d for \u201ceconomic success and prosperity,\u201d citing his own life experience as an example.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur success as a state will be dependent upon how we support students who are learning English as a second language,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2020\/12\/22\/biden-selects-cts-miguel-cardona-to-lead-the-u-s-department-of-education\/\">told<\/a> Connecticut lawmakers in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>The Courant reported, \u201cThe Meriden native grew up in a public housing complex and is the son of a police officer,\u201d adding, \u201cCardona has shared that he entered kindergarten only speaking Spanish and struggled to learn English.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI, being bilingual and bicultural, am as American as apple pie and rice and beans,\u201d Cardona has said.<\/p>\n<p>He is married to Marissa P\u00e9rez Cardona, and they have two school-aged children.<\/p>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/02\/02\/962050863\/education-pick-miguel-cardona-is-new-to-washington-but-not-to-classrooms\">extensive profile<\/a> by National Public Radio featured excerpts from Cardona\u2019s doctoral capsule.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing of Puerto Rican descent, but born in Connecticut, I have always had an awareness of my Hispanic heritage, and like many students, struggled with my identity growing up,\u201d he wrote. \u201cDuring my later school years and into adulthood, I embraced my Hispanic-American identity and now encourage my two young children to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NPR interviewed \u201cmore than a dozen former students, district parents and Meriden coworkers\u201d for its report, which found \u201cthere\u2019s one concern featured prominently: Cardona is so diplomatic, such a consensus-builder, that it\u2019s not always clear where <em>he<\/em> stands on certain issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cardona takes over an Education Department tasked with guiding and supporting states and local school districts to reopen K-12 classrooms that moved online when the pandemic began. Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2021\/02\/09\/white-house-clarifies-goals-reopening-schools-amid-pandemic\/4456185001\/\">pledged<\/a> during the campaign to ensure most schools would reopen by May, within his first 100 days in office.<\/p>\n<p>At Cardona\u2019s confirmation hearing on February 3, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2021\/02\/03\/miguel-cardona-nomination-richard-burr-465494\">vowed<\/a> to do \u201ceverything in our power to safely reopen schools.\u201d He said teachers should be prioritized to get the vaccine but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/miguel-cardona-confirmation-hearing_n_601af027c5b6c2d891a5907f?\">suggested<\/a> in-person learning could safely resume even if most have not received the shot(s).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have examples throughout our country of schools that are able to reopen safely and do so while following mitigation strategies,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/miguel-cardona-confirmation-hearing_n_601af027c5b6c2d891a5907f?\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As Connecticut\u2019s top education official, Cardona acknowledged the pitfalls of remote instruction, like socialization issues. He expressed concern for students whose first language is not English, pointing out that many lack sufficient resources to participate in online learning in what he has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newstimes.com\/opinion\/article\/State-Education-Commissioner-Cardona-Making-15650340.php\">described<\/a> as \u201cthe digital divide.\u201d The Connecticut Mirror <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2020\/06\/18\/achievement-gaps-for-english-learners-linger-troubling-cts-first-hispanic-education-chief\/\">reported<\/a> one in 12 students attending public schools in Connecticut are classified as English learners.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"fr\" dir=\"ltr\">Reimagine Education! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EducateCT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EducateCT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Xm3lky3mZo\">https:\/\/t.co\/Xm3lky3mZo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Miguel A. Cardona (@teachcardona) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/teachcardona\/status\/1278467585378525185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe inequities have really come to the surface,\u201d Cardona <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2020\/06\/18\/achievement-gaps-for-english-learners-linger-troubling-cts-first-hispanic-education-chief\/\">told<\/a> the outlet last year. \u201cThe impact that that\u2019s going to have \u2013 it will last generations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cardona <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newstimes.com\/opinion\/article\/State-Education-Commissioner-Cardona-Making-15650340.php\">said<\/a> nearly 140,000 public school students in Connecticut \u201cnever or just minimally log on for any digital instruction,\u201d a figure he said, \u201crepresents one quarter of all students\u201d in the state.<\/p>\n<p>During his confirmation hearing, Cardona was questioned by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky over transgender student-athletes.<\/p>\n<p>After taking office, President Biden issued an executive order which, in part, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/factcheck\/2021\/02\/02\/fact-check-biden-executive-order-discrimination-transgender-women-sports\/6686171002\/\">mandates<\/a> that transgender girls should compete on female athletic teams.<\/p>\n<p>Paul repeatedly pressed Cardona on whether transgender girls should be allowed to compete with biological girls in sports.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RandPaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RandPaul<\/a>: &#8220;Do you think it&#8217;s fair to have boys running in the girls track meet?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sec. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/usedgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@usedgov<\/a> Nominee Cardona: &#8220;I think it&#8217;s the legal responsibility of schools to provide opportunities for students to participate in activities and this includes students who are transgender.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XxHqPYyB2E\">pic.twitter.com\/XxHqPYyB2E<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 CSPAN (@cspan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cspan\/status\/1357003971576147973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 3, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cDo you think it\u2019s fair to have boys running in the girls\u2019 track meet?\u201d Sen. Paul asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s appropriate \u2013 I think it\u2019s the legal responsibility for schools to provide opportunities for students to participate in activities and this includes students who are transgender,\u201d Dr. Cardona answered.<\/p>\n<p>As the exchange continued, Paul told Cardona he seemed \u201cto be afraid to answer the question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cardona also failed to clearly express his stance on whether the Education Department should waive federal academic testing requirements for all states again this year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/education\/2021\/01\/29\/standardized-tests-waiver-states-biden\/\">According<\/a> to The Washington Post, former Secretary Betsy DeVos \u201ctold all states they did not have to administer the tests after schools were abruptly closed when the pandemic hit.\u201d Still, she said she would not grant waivers again in 2021 if she remained in that role. Some lawmakers argue it is necessary to resume standardized tests to determine how far behind students have fallen without in-person instruction.<\/p>\n<p>As Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2021\/02\/03\/miguel-cardona-nomination-richard-burr-465494\">reported<\/a>, \u201cCardona offered mixed signals on how he would approach the issue as secretary,\u201d and:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Cardona said he opposed a \u201cone size fits all\u201d approach to testing if students are out of the physical classroom because of Covid. But he did not say whether, as secretary of Education, he would grant waivers to relieve states of federal testing requirements in existing law.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>He said only that states should be able to \u201cweigh in on\u201d how they implement testing this year as well as whether the results of those tests are used to hold schools accountable for their performance.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI don\u2019t think we need to be bringing students in just to test them on a standardized test. I don\u2019t think that makes any sense,\u201d Cardona said, while also raising the opposing argument. \u201cIf we don\u2019t assess where our students are \u2014 and their level of performance \u2014 it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Dr. Cardona has also pledged to focus on student loan debt, which reached an all-time high by the end of last year, as more than 43 million Americans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/video\/how-biden-plans-to-tackle-the-16-trillion-student-loan-debt\/316042BE-B799-456B-A9F0-7ABDBD9E77FA.html\">owed the federal government<\/a> a collective $1.6 trillion.<\/p>\n<p>President Biden extended a freeze of federal student loan payments through September, but some education reform advocates have called for loan forgiveness.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with Connecticut Public Radio on WNPR in January, Cardona <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wnpr.org\/post\/conversation-dr-miguel-cardona-president-bidens-pick-secretary-education\">said<\/a> he was \u201ctotally in support\u201d of President Biden\u2019s plan to call on Congress to cancel $10,000 of student debt for all borrowers, of which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/student-loans-miguel-cardona-education-department-priority\/\">1 in every five<\/a> are in default. Taxpayers would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/video\/how-biden-plans-to-tackle-the-16-trillion-student-loan-debt\/316042BE-B799-456B-A9F0-7ABDBD9E77FA.html\">cover<\/a> student loans that are forgiven.<\/p>\n<p>Cardona <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wnpr.org\/post\/conversation-dr-miguel-cardona-president-bidens-pick-secretary-education\">discussed<\/a> analyzing data to assess the damage student debt has caused \u201cand make sure we\u2019re targeting the support for students who need it most,\u201d such as those who lost opportunities over the past year as COVID-19 spread across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPart of this is recovering from the pandemic, part of this is really reimagining higher education as well,\u201d Cardona said.<\/p>\n<p>He is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Senate confirmed Dr. Miguel A. Cardona to lead the Education Department on Monday. The final vote was 64 to 33. \u201cThere are no shortages of challenges ahead, no shortage &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2274501,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Miguel-Cardona.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Biden\u2019s Education Secretary Confirmed, Asks America To \u2018Reimagine Education\u2019","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Miguel-Cardona.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Biden\u2019s Education Secretary Confirmed, Asks America To \u2018Reimagine Education\u2019","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2274501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}