President-elect Joe Biden is set to nominate the commissioner of public schools in Connecticut as his education secretary, settling on a low-profile candidate who has pushed to reopen schools and is not aligned with either side in education policy battles of recent years, two people familiar with the matter said Monday. Miguel Cardona was named Connecticut’s top schools official last year and if confirmed will have achieved a meteoric rise, moving from an assistant superintendent in Meriden, Conn., a district with 9,000 students, to secretary of education in less than two years. He was born in Meriden to Puerto Rican parents who lived in public housing. He began his career as a fourth-grade teacher and rocketed up the ranks, becoming the state’s youngest principal at age 28. He was named the state’s principal of the year in 2012. People close to the process said Biden had not made a final offer, leaving open the possibility that circumstances could change.

Cardona met virtually with Biden, his wife, Jill Biden, and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris on Monday, one person familiar with the matter said. Those people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The announcement could come ahead of Christmas.

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Source: Washington Post By  Laura Meckler,  Matt Viser and Valerie Strauss Dec. 21, 2020 at 11:43 p.m.