{"id":731,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=731"},"modified":"2026-01-02T04:28:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T04:28:49","slug":"two-education-secretaries-from-ct-show-divide-over-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/two-education-secretaries-from-ct-show-divide-over-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Two education secretaries from CT show divide over schools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Brid\u00adget Brons\u00addon
UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut res\u00adi\u00addents, two sec\u00adre\u00adtaries of edu\u00adca\u00adtion, two very dif\u00adfer\u00adent paths.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Por\u00adtraits of Lin\u00adda McMa\u00adhon (left) and Miguel Car\u00addona (right). Cour\u00adtesy of the Unit\u00aded States Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Miguel Car\u00addona, a Meri\u00adden native, and Lin\u00adda McMa\u00adhon of Green\u00adwich have both made the jour\u00adney from Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut to Wash\u00ading\u00adton, D.C. to serve as U.S. Sec\u00adre\u00adtary of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car\u00addona, who served under for\u00admer Pres\u00adi\u00addent Joe Biden, and McMa\u00adhon, who cur\u00adrent\u00adly serves under Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump, have very dif\u00adfer\u00adent back\u00adgrounds, expe\u00adri\u00adences and goals for the future of edu\u00adca\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miguel Car\u00addona <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miguel Car\u00addona served as the U.S. Sec\u00adre\u00adtary of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion from March 2021 to Jan\u00adu\u00adary 2025 under for\u00admer Pres\u00adi\u00addent Joe Biden.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portrait of Miguel Cardona as Secretary of Education under President Biden. courtesy United States Department of Education<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-819x1024.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-819x1024.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SECRETARIES-Miguel-Cardona.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\">
Por\u00adtrait of Miguel Car\u00addona as Sec\u00adre\u00adtary of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion under Pres\u00adi\u00addent Biden. Car\u00addona focused on equi\u00adty and acces\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty in edu\u00adca\u00adtion. Pho\u00adto cour\u00adtesy of the U.S. Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cardona\u2019s term focused on root\u00ading edu\u00adca\u00adtion in equi\u00adty and acces\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty, ensur\u00ading afford\u00adabil\u00adi\u00adty in high\u00ader-edu\u00adca\u00adtion and expand\u00ading sup\u00adport ser\u00advices, such as men\u00adtal health pro\u00adgrams for stu\u00addents and edu\u00adca\u00adtors. Car\u00addona also spear\u00adhead\u00aded the Raise the Bar ini\u00adtia\u00adtive, aimed at strength\u00aden\u00ading stu\u00addent achieve\u00adment, diver\u00adsi\u00adfy\u00ading career oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties and mul\u00adti\u00adlin\u00adgual edu\u00adca\u00adtion, and ensur\u00ading acces\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty in high\u00ader edu\u00adca\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A first-gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion col\u00adlege stu\u00addent and Span\u00adish and Eng\u00adlish speak\u00ader, Car\u00addona has been out\u00adspo\u00adken in his advo\u00adca\u00adcy for mul\u00adti\u00adlin\u00adgual\u00adism in schools and equal access to edu\u00adca\u00adtion regard\u00adless of income, gen\u00adder or race.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dur\u00ading his term, Car\u00addona facil\u00adi\u00adtat\u00aded the addi\u00adtion of 16,000 men\u00adtal health experts<\/a> in schools across the coun\u00adtry and over\u00adsaw over $175 bil\u00adlion<\/a> in col\u00adlege debt relief to approx\u00adi\u00admate\u00adly 5 mil\u00adlion peo\u00adple.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in Meri\u00adden, Car\u00addona received his bachelor\u2019s degree in edu\u00adca\u00adtion from Cen\u00adtral Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut State Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty. He lat\u00ader earned a mas\u00adter\u2019s degree in bilin\u00adgual and bicul\u00adtur\u00adal edu\u00adca\u00adtion and a doc\u00adtor\u00adal degree in edu\u00adca\u00adtion from the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car\u00addona began his career teach\u00ading fourth grade at Israel Put\u00adnam Ele\u00admen\u00adtary School in Meri\u00adden, in the same school dis\u00adtrict he attend\u00aded as a child. After five years in the class\u00adroom, Car\u00addona was pro\u00admot\u00aded to prin\u00adci\u00adpal for Meriden\u2019s Hanover Ele\u00admen\u00adtary School, mak\u00ading him Connecticut\u2019s youngest prin\u00adci\u00adpal at 28 years old. In 2012, Car\u00addona was award\u00aded the Nation\u00adal Dis\u00adtin\u00adguished Prin\u00adci\u00adpal Award for Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and the Out\u00adstand\u00ading Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtor Award from the same uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty he received his mas\u00adter\u2019s and doc\u00adtor\u00adal degrees from, the UConn Neag School of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car\u00addona then took on an admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtive role as Meriden\u2019s dis\u00adtrict per\u00adfor\u00admance and eval\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion spe\u00adcial\u00adist in 2013. In 2019, Car\u00addona became the Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Com\u00admis\u00adsion\u00ader of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Com\u00admis\u00adsion\u00ader, Car\u00addona cham\u00adpi\u00adoned the reopen\u00ading of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut schools dur\u00ading the COVID-19 pan\u00addem\u00adic. He also focused on bridg\u00ading the dig\u00adi\u00adtal divide, lead\u00ading Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut to be the first state in the coun\u00adtry that pro\u00advid\u00aded lap\u00adtops and inter\u00adnet ser\u00advices for pub\u00adlic school stu\u00addents dur\u00ading the pan\u00addem\u00adic to ensure suc\u00adcess\u00adful remote learn\u00ading.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car\u00addona in his own words <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n