U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Miguel Cardona, currently Connecticut’s commissioner of education, to be secretary of education, according to news reports.
Cardona took his current post just months before the coronavirus pandemic hit, becoming the first Latino to hold the job.
Cardona reportedly embraced remote learning, but has recently been pushing for schools to reopen, saying continued remote learning was harmful.
“Our position has always been when you can get students into the classroom, that's the best option," Cardona told state lawmakers in October, according to the Associated Press. "There is no replacement for that experience in the classroom with a teacher."
Cardona, 45, attended public schools in Meriden, Connecticut, and later became a fourth-grade teacher. By the age of 28, he was the youngest principal in the state. He later would become assistant superintendent of the city’s schools.
Biden also announced appointments to his White House staff, including Bruce Reed who will serve as deputy chief of staff. Reed was Biden’s chief of staff while Biden was vice president.