Secretary of Education

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the head of the U.S. Department of Education.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State School Officers' 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 24, 2023, in Washington.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a ceremony honoring the 2023 Teachers of the Year at the White House on April 24, 2023. He appeared before a U.S. House committee May 16, 2023, to defend the Biden administration's proposed education budget and other policies.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Federal Cardona Defends Biden's Education Budget and Proposals on Student Debt and Trans Athletes
House Republicans accused Education Secretary Miguel Cardona of indoctrinating students and causing drops in test scores.
Libby Stanford, May 16, 2023
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4 min read
Miguel Cardona
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is pictured in downtown Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. He discussed teacher pay and working conditions, artificial intelligence, and more in an interview with Education Week.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
Teaching Profession Q&A Teachers Need More Than Just Pay Raises, Secretary Cardona Says
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sat down with Education Week to talk about the teaching profession, AI, and students' mental health.
Libby Stanford, May 2, 2023
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7 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
Federal Book Bans and Divisive Concepts Laws Will Hold U.S. Students Back, Secretary Cardona Says
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona participated in a summit this week that drew international education leaders to the nation's capital.
Libby Stanford, April 27, 2023
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6 min read
042523 Cardona Bilingual 3 EdDe BS
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona talks to a group of 3rd grade students on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Escuela Key Elementary School in Arlington, Va. Cardona visited the school along with a group of education leaders from countries across the globe to demonstrate strong U.S. multilingual programs.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
English-Language Learners Secretary Cardona Shows Off Dual-Language School to International Education Leaders
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited Escuela Key Elementary School in Arlington, Va., to promote multilingual learning.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2023
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5 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks during a visit to Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks during a visit to Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.
Seth Wenig/AP
Student Well-Being Education Secretary Calls for End to Corporal Punishment
The practice is still allowed in 23 states, either because laws allow it, or because it's not explicitly banned.
Caitlynn Peetz, March 24, 2023
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4 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona delivers a speech during the “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” event in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2023.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks at the “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” event in Washington, on Jan. 24, 2023. Cardona spoke to state superintendents and school district leaders in speeches at the Council for Great City Schools and the Council of Chief State School Officers on March 20, 2023.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
States What the Education Secretary Said School Leaders Should Prioritize Right Now
Miguel Cardona, in a pair of speeches, urged K-12 leaders to lean into efforts to support student mental health and academic achievement.
Libby Stanford, March 20, 2023
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5 min read
Student debt relief advocates gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023, as the court heard arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan.
Student debt relief advocates gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023, as the court heard arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan.
Patrick Semansky/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Will Decide Fate of Student Loan Relief: What Teachers Need to Know
The AFT and NEA remind the justices in briefs that teachers carry significant student debt and the pandemic made things worse.
Mark Walsh, February 28, 2023
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6 min read
Close up of a student holding pencil and writing the answer on a bubble sheet assessment test with blurred students at their desks in the background
iStock/Getty
Accountability Education Secretary: Standardized Tests Should No Longer Be a 'Hammer'
But states won't ease accountability requirements until federal law tells them to do so, policy experts say.
Libby Stanford, January 31, 2023
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5 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona delivers a speech during the “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” event in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2023.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona delivers a speech during the “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” event in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2023.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
Federal Teachers Shouldn't Have to Drive Ubers on the Side, Education Secretary Says
In a speech on priorities for the year, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said teachers should be paid competitive salaries.
Libby Stanford, January 24, 2023
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5 min read
Students walk to their first class on the first day of school at Kernodle Middle School in Greensboro, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. The federal government has provided $190 billion in pandemic aid to schools since March 2020. This is more than quadruple what the U.S. Education Department spends on K-12 schools in a typical year.
Students walk to class on the first day of school in Greensboro, N.C., in August 2021. Recent plunges in math and reading scores nationally have raised concern at the highest levels.
Woody Marshall/News & Record via AP
Student Achievement Big Changes Needed to Reverse Plunging Student Achievement, Education Secretary Says
Miguel Cardona urged widespread adoption of strategies that evidence shows help students regain lost academic ground.
Libby Stanford, October 26, 2022
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4 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona continues a tradition of on-site visits by the nation's top education official as the school year opens.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
Federal Cardona Back-to-School Tour to Focus on Teacher Pipeline, Academic Recovery
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will spend a week traveling to six states to highlight a range of K-12 priorities.
Libby Stanford, September 9, 2022
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2 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington on Aug. 23.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
Federal Q&A U.S. Education Secretary Cardona: How to Fix Teacher Shortages, Create Safe Schools
In an exclusive interview with Education Week, the secretary looks ahead to the challenges of this school year.
Libby Stanford, August 23, 2022
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10 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the White House on April 27.
Susan Walsh/AP
Federal Education Secretary: 'Let's Transform Our Appreciation of Teachers to Action'
Miguel Cardona shared strategies to help recruit, develop, and retain effective teachers.
Madeline Will, June 9, 2022
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5 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, is seen during a White House event on April 27. The following day, he defended the Biden administration's budget proposal on Capitol Hill.
Susan Walsh/AP
Federal Lawmakers, Education Secretary Clash Over Charter School Rules
Miguel Cardona says the administration wants to ensure charters show wide community interest before securing federal funding.
Mark Lieberman, April 28, 2022
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5 min read
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