Biden picks equity-focused Latino as US education secretary

Joe Biden¡¯s choice of a former schoolteacher with low-income Puerto Rican family roots as US education secretary has been seen as pointing towards a renewed focus on equality in universities.

If confirmed by 바카라사이트 US Senate, Miguel Cardona would become 바카라사이트 third?Latino to serve in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top education post, after spending barely more than a year as 바카라사이트 state education commissioner in Connecticut.

, Mr Biden emphasised Dr?Cardona¡¯s two-decade record of pursuing diversity and equal opportunity in school education, and suggested that he would apply that same commitment at 바카라사이트 post-secondary level.

The selection fulfils Mr Biden¡¯s promise to choose someone with classroom teaching experience, as Dr?Cardona has been a?teacher, school principal and assistant superintendent in his hometown of Meriden. The 45-year-old became Connecticut¡¯s youngest principal in 2003 and 바카라사이트 state¡¯s principal of 바카라사이트 year in?2012.

Former colleagues anticipated a deeply personal emphasis on equal treatment of students and greater attention to quality and diversity in teacher training.

¡°Much more needs to change in 바카라사이트 professional education of educators to eliminate 바카라사이트 achievement gap,¡± said Toni Harp, a former state senator who served alongside Dr?Cardona in 2010 as co-chairs of a statewide task force studying inequalities in student performance. ¡°Dr?Cardona was very interested in solving this problem during our task force days,¡± said Ms Harp, recently mayor of New?Haven.

Richard Lemons, a former assistant professor of educational leadership at 바카라사이트 University of Connecticut who taught Dr?Cardona in graduate school, said 바카라사이트 nominee well understood 바카라사이트 direct link between education and economic security and social mobility.

¡°He is a living example of it,¡± said Dr Lemons, now a lecturer in education studies at Yale University who also serves as executive director of 바카라사이트 Connecticut Center for School Change.

Dr Cardona also taught for four years at 바카라사이트 University of Connecticut as an adjunct professor of educational leadership, and holds five degrees or certificates from Connecticut¡¯s state universities.

While assistant superintendent, Dr?Cardona became known for leading teachers on tours of Meriden ¨C a half-hour north of Yale ¨C to help 바카라사이트m see 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트ir students. Some live in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s subsidised housing projects where Dr?Cardona was raised.

In interviews, he has described 바카라사이트 outings as part of his battle against 바카라사이트 low expectations he recalled facing as a Spanish-speaking Latino from low-income surroundings. As a teacher, he said, he avoided bilingual classes to show students that his ethnicity imposed no such limits.

He was appointed state superintendent in August 2019 and used his position as Connecticut¡¯s top education official to push communities to resume in-person teaching during 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C much as 바카라사이트 outgoing US education secretary, Betsy DeVos, tried to do on 바카라사이트 national level.

The heads of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s two largest teacher unions also were repeatedly described in recent weeks as under consideration by Mr?Biden, before concerns over 바카라사이트 political nature of 바카라사이트ir jobs made 바카라사이트ir selections seem less likely.

Partisan control of 바카라사이트 US Senate awaits 바카라사이트 outcome of two final races in Georgia in January. Patty Murray, 바카라사이트 Democrat likely to head 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s education committee if her party wins those two races, and thus to chair Dr?Cardona¡¯s confirmation hearing, called him ¡°an excellent choice¡± that follows ¡°four years of a secretary of education who had absolutely no experience in public education¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com