Biden Selects 'Latino' Miguel Cardona as Next Education Secretary

Third Latino Cabinet Nominee Following Health and Homeland Security Departments
Next Biden Administration's 'Rainbow Cabinet' Grows Stronger
Biden Keeps Promise by Selecting 'Former Public School Teacher' as Education Secretary

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] President-elect Joe Biden has selected a Latinx individual with a teaching background as the first Secretary of Education. Following the appointments of Latinx leaders to the Departments of Health and Homeland Security, the next U.S. administration’s ‘rainbow cabinet’ characteristic has been further strengthened.

Major foreign media outlets such as CNN and The New York Times reported on the 22nd (local time), citing sources, that Biden plans to appoint Miguel Cardona, a Latinx and Connecticut State Education Commissioner with a teaching background, as the next Secretary of Education.

Miguel Cardona, Nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education (Captured from Cardona's SNS)

Since the presidential election, Hispanic advocacy groups in the U.S. have urged President-elect Biden to appoint Latinx individuals to senior government positions. In response, Biden previously nominated Latinx Javier Becerra, California Attorney General, as Secretary of Health, and Alejandro Mayorkas, former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, as Secretary of Homeland Security.

If Commissioner Cardona passes the Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education, he will become the second Latinx U.S. Secretary of Education, following former Secretary Lauro Cavazos (who served from 1988 to 1990).

Analysts suggest that Cardona’s background as a teacher played a significant role in his nomination as Secretary of Education. During his presidential campaign, Biden pledged to appoint a former teacher as the next Secretary of Education. In particular, Jill Biden, a former teacher and Biden’s wife, criticized Betsy DeVos, the Trump administration’s Secretary of Education, as an “education privatization advocate with no experience attending public schools,” and publicly declared that “the Biden administration will have an educator as Secretary of Education.”

Cardona, whose parents are immigrants from Puerto Rico, worked as a public elementary school teacher and became the youngest principal in Connecticut at age 28. He later served as Deputy Commissioner of Education and has been Connecticut State Education Commissioner since August last year.

AP News forecasts that Cardona’s first task after confirmation will be to reopen schools that were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, President-elect Biden stated, “Within the first 100 days of my administration, I will work to ensure that most schools across the United States can reopen,” urging local authorities to strengthen quarantine measures and Congress to provide financial support to back these efforts.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) identified key tasks for the next Secretary of Education, including tripling the funding for public schools promised by Biden, making community college tuition-free, and restoring the Obama administration’s ‘student rights guidelines.’

The Biden transition team also announced additional White House staff appointments on the same day. Bruce Reed, who served as Biden’s Chief of Staff during his vice presidency, was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for the new administration. Reed also acted as a senior advisor to Biden during the recent presidential campaign.

Additionally, six more individuals joined the team, including Ann Filipic as Director of Management and Administration in the Chief of Staff’s office, and Elizabeth Wilkins as Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.