Miguel Cardona
Bio | Cardona is the newly appointed Secretary of Education under the Biden Administration. He currently serves as the Connecticut commissioner of education and has previously worked as a principal (and was the youngest in the state of Connecticut to do so) and a fourth grade teacher. Cardona received a Bachelor of Science in education from Central Connecticut State University and a Master of Science in bilingual and bicultural education and Doctor of Education from University of Connecticut. |
Status and Position | Current Secretary of Education of White House Staff |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Democrat, White House Staff |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
Campaign Financing | No campaign funding information is known. |
Voting Rights | No clear stance on issue. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Socialized Healthcare | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Private Healthcare | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| LGBT Rights | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Taxes | Nuance | Cardona has not said much on the topic of taxes, however he has expressed support for the use of tax credits in order to help families pay for child care. Source: https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/ Cardona has sought to make child care and education more accessible by promoting initiatives such as the use of tax credit in order to make these services more affordable to lower-income families. Source: https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/ |
| Flat Tax Rate | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. Cardona has sought to make child care and education more accessible by promoting initiatives such as the use of tax credit in order to make these services more affordable to lower-income families. Source: https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/ |
| Abortion | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Gun Control | Nuance | While Cardona is not opposed to the buying/selling or use of firearms, he has helped to draft education policy for the state of Connecticut that mandates education surrounding firearm safety in schools. Source: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Board/BoardMaterials100720/Adoption_of_the_Firearm_Safety_Guide_for_Connecticut_Schools.pdf Cardona's Firearm Safety Guide for Connecticut Schools calls for the inclusion of several key points of firearm safety education for elementary school students, such as treating every gun as if it is loaded and not using them as toys. There are additional distinct points for middle school and high school students which expand upon previous points and take into consideration the likelihood that they may be starting to handle/use guns as children approach adulthood. Source: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Board/BoardMaterials100720/Adoption_of_the_Firearm_Safety_Guide_for_Connecticut_Schools.pdf |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. Cardona's Firearm Safety Guide for Connecticut Schools calls for the inclusion of several key points of firearm safety education for elementary school students, such as treating every gun as if it is loaded and not using them as toys. There are additional distinct points for middle school and high school students which expand upon previous points and take into consideration the likelihood that they may be starting to handle/use guns as children approach adulthood. Source: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Board/BoardMaterials100720/Adoption_of_the_Firearm_Safety_Guide_for_Connecticut_Schools.pdf |
| Government Interference | Nuance | While Cardona values individual choice and freedom in educational matters such as what kind of school system to enroll in (private vs. public), he does see government intervention as an important way for welfare and educational opportunities to be extended to vulnerable communities and to create a more equitable educational system. Source: https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/23/22197906/5-big-questions-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/04/biden-selects-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/the-states-new-education-commissioner-collaborator-listener-hard-worker/, https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/, https://ctmirror.org/2020/12/22/for-cts-miguel-cardona-new-post-as-u-s-secretary-of-education-is-a-key-part-of-joe-bidens-agenda/ |
| Planned Parenthood | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Welfare | For | Cardona is highly supportive of welfare measures and seeks to close the "achievement gap" through affordable, accessible education and the implementation of programs geared toward lower-income families and vulnerable communities. Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/04/biden-selects-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/the-states-new-education-commissioner-collaborator-listener-hard-worker/, https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/, https://ctmirror.org/2020/12/22/for-cts-miguel-cardona-new-post-as-u-s-secretary-of-education-is-a-key-part-of-joe-bidens-agenda/ Among the many welfare programs Cardona has advocated for, he proposes free preschool, tax credit to help pay for child care, the promotion of free higher education at community college and programs that allow students to take college classes while in high school, and working with non-profits and other commissioners to address socioeconomic issues such as housing and food insecurity and economic instability. Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/04/biden-selects-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/the-states-new-education-commissioner-collaborator-listener-hard-worker/, https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/, https://ctmirror.org/2020/12/22/for-cts-miguel-cardona-new-post-as-u-s-secretary-of-education-is-a-key-part-of-joe-bidens-agenda/ |
| Welfare | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Death Penalty | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Military Spending | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| War on Terrorism | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| United Nations power | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Nationalism | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Free Markets | Nuance | While Cardona has said relatively little on the subject of economics, he does favor economic aid and assistance to those who cannot afford education and child care and is a supporter of free preschools and community colleges. Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/04/biden-selects-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/the-states-new-education-commissioner-collaborator-listener-hard-worker/, https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/ Coming from a low-income, immigrant family, Cardona has stressed the importance of making education accessible and affordable for all, regardless of socioeconomic status, so that the country can close the "achievement gap" between vulnerable and privileged communities. He seeks to do this through the promotion of free community colleges and programs which allow high school students to get ahead by taking college courses early. Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/04/biden-selects-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/the-states-new-education-commissioner-collaborator-listener-hard-worker/, https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/22/miguel-cardona-in-line-for-education-secretary-reports/ |
| Brexit | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Affirmative Action | For | As Commissioner of Education for Connecticut, Cardona has upheld affirmative action policies that allow those from historically marginalized communities to obtain equal education opportunities. Source: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Adult-Ed/Federal/PEP-continuation-app-for-fy-21doc-final.doc |
| Government Spending | Nuance | In terms of education, Cardona advocates for greater investment in creating programs and opportunities for low-income children and families, such as free preschool, free community college, affordable housing in well-funded school districts, and partnerships with non-profits to address systemic barriers such as food and housing insecurity and poverty. Source: https://ctmirror.org/2020/12/22/for-cts-miguel-cardona-new-post-as-u-s-secretary-of-education-is-a-key-part-of-joe-bidens-agenda/, https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/the-states-new-education-commissioner-collaborator-listener-hard-worker/ |
| Charter Schools | For | Cardona is the charter school authorizer for Connecticut and claims that charter schools are important because they give parents choices as to what kind of education they want their children to receive. However, he has also expressed that most of his focus as Commissioner of Education will be on the public school system and he still sees this system as the most accessible for the vast majority of families. Source: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/its-not-news-miguel-cardona-charter-school-authorizer-and-thats-worth, https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/23/22197906/5-big-questions-miguel-cardona-education-secretary, https://networkforpubliceducation.org/npes-thoughts-on-the-selection-of-miguel-cardona-for-secretary-of-education/ |
| Common Core | Nuance | Cardona has expressed that he sees flaws in the Common Core curriculum, however he ultimately believes high standards and rigorous coursework are good for students. Source: https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/in-his-own-words/ Cardona has said on the topic of Common Core that “There’s always room for improvement. I could find flaws and in parts of them .. but at the end of the day having high expectations and high standards for kids is a good thing.” Source: https://ctmirror.org/2019/08/21/in-his-own-words/ |
| Clean Energy | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Religious Freedom | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Separation of Church and State | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Border Control | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Passenger Profiling | Against | Although Cardona has not directly addressed "passenger profiling", he sees profiling in general, especially through facial recognition technologies in schools, as stigmatizing and harmful. He has been a strong advocate for racial justice and oversaw the creation of critical race theory classes for high school students in Connecticut. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/why-biden-nominee-miguel-cardona-should-make-sure-facial-recognition-ncna1252139, https://freebeacon.com/campus/future-biden-education-secretary-oversaw-creation-of-critical-theory-class-for-high-schoolers/ |
| DACA | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Sanctuary Cities | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |