President Joe Biden tapped Miguel Cardona ’01 MA, ’04 6th Year, ’11 Ed.D., ’12 ELP to be the country’s top education official and, once fully confirmed, Cardona will become the first UConn alum to hold a Cabinet-level position in the White House.

“To boost student achievement and teacher morale, research shows you need highly educated and experienced school principals and district leaders,” says Richard Schwab, dean emeritus of the Neag School and professor in educational leadership. “Thriving businesses invest heavily in leadership development. They commit to training employees who show leadership potential. As in business, effective leaders in education require the right skills and proper support.”

Connecticut education Commissioner Miguel Cardona moved a step closer to becoming President Joe Biden’s education secretary Thursday, as the Senate’s education committee voted 17-5 to advance his nomination to a vote in the full Senate.

“I came from Hartford and that I grew up just like they did, and I finished school and I have my doctorate. That’s an expectation. It’s not something that’s a far reach for them. I’m letting them know, no this is the norm. This is what you can do if you choose,” says Tayarisha Batchelor.

For Batchelor, leading the next generation of movers and shakers is her biggest achievement.

Paul Freeman ’09 Ed.D. is in his 10thyear as the superintendent of Guilford (Conn.) Public Schools and has almost 30 years of administrative and teaching experience in schools in Connecticut. Freeman earned an Ed.D. in 2009 from the Neag School of Education. In addition to having recently been named the state’s Superintendent of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), he had been recognized in 2014 by the Neag School as Outstanding Superintendent of the Year.

Connecticut education Commissioner Miguel Cardona will appear before the Senate’s education committee Wednesday for a hearing on his nomination to serve as the next U.S. education secretary under President Joe Biden.
UConn professor Casey Cobb, an education policy expert, said the hearing will provide an opportunity for Americans to learn more about Cardona’s priorities —especially since he only entered the public eye on a national scale in late December.

Another concern is that the popularity of these programs in white, affluent districts will lead to the schools being less focused on the needs of ELLs. The University of Connecticut, Cardona’s alma mater, has recently been awarded a $179,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education to address these concerns by promoting a greater focus on sociocultural competence.

If our nation’s cities and towns are going to be asked to do more and more, the pandemic partnerships and the progress we have made offer promise for a brighter future for our communities.

To Miguel Cardona, it’s not “oh pobrecitos” — “oh poor them” — said Richard Gonzales, an associate professor in residence at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education who has worked closely with Cardona on principal preparation initiatives. “No, no, no. We will serve them as well as possible, and we will ask them to do their part, and they will rise because they’re very capable.”

The Neag School of Education’s Alumni Board recently sought to highlight the equity work the West Hartford Public Schools district has been doing in social justice education as well as social emotional learning through a virtual panel discussion in December. The Board’s Student and Alumni Networking Committee Chair, Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble ’03 ED, ’04 MA, ’09 6th Year, spearheaded the event, recruiting colleagues who have been engaged in different facets of social justice work throughout their careers to speak on the panel alongside her.