On a cool Tuesday afternoon in the nation’s capital, plates of leftover snacks and pastries sat untouched in a government building. The soft sound of a few dozen conversations lingered outside a small auditorium named after Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president who revamped the way Americans pay for college.
Vice President Kamala Harris will likely appear before the Senate on Tuesday to testify about the Biden administration’s 2023 budget request, marking one of her last public appearances she is likely to make as Vice President because she has announced she will step down in office.
’s inauguration.
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Inside, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona pulled out his cell phone. Having overseen a pivotal period for US students, which began with a pandemic and wrapped up with a financial aid problem, he carried himself with a mix of friendliness and resolve. After leaning back in a chair in the conference room, he relaxed a bit following the goodbye speech he’d just delivered.
His message to the crowd was somewhat unexpected – a call to be optimistic and hopeful, laced with warnings about what a second term for Trump could mean. It contained a subtle jab at his likely successor, Linda McMahon, a wealthy supporter of Trump who is expected to easily win confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate.
He, a former fourth-grade educator, said to the crowd, “This background should remind everyone of the importance of President Biden’s decision, especially given the current crisis, to have a teacher, and not some wealthy donor, lead the Department of Education.”
Under Cardona’s leadership, the federal Education Department achieved significant milestones, to the delight of his supporters and the frustration of his critics.
and finalized regulations that, if left in place, could hold colleges more accountable in the years to come.
There were significant obstacles.
When the department required a strong image to be maintained.
The President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to “close” it. However, taking such action would necessitate legislative approval, and since Republicans hold a majority in both legislative bodies.
Most voters are against abolishing the department. It would likely be difficult to pass such a significant plan, given the small Republican majority in Congress. Whether or not Trump follows through on that promise, his representatives have indicated that the Education Department could still be targeted for cuts through the administration’s new “Department of Government Efficiency” plan.
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Cardona: Consider this. Character and faith guided him. He believed in the importance of education for the public good. He established the department. Another person now wants to dismantle it.
How does that perspective make you feel, from having taught to having been in a school administration role and now as a secretary?
As secretary, my top concern is for the most vulnerable students, including those from rural communities who depend on public schools and federal education support, and students with disabilities who rely on our protections. I’m worried about the well-being of these at-risk populations.
As an educator, a parent, I don’t doubt the abilities of schools and teachers. I’ve seen firsthand how education works – I used to be a fourth-grade teacher, I handled administrative duties as a school principal, and I had leadership roles within a school district. We’re committed to supporting and advocating for students’ needs, both in and out of the classroom.
It would be great if, at the federal level, our needs were prioritized and we got the funding we deserve. But we’re committed to protecting the kids. We became teachers and leaders because we genuinely care about children. That commitment isn’t going to change in four years. People will need to work together.
Have any of the bills that made it across the finish line in Congress given you any hope that certain things can get accomplished in Washington on a bipartisan basis?
We had a number of areas of agreement over the past four years that didn’t receive the attention they deserved from my counterparts on the other side of the aisle.
I reminisce about a conversation I had over coffee that she made in her office, where we discussed the significance of alternative routes (particle accelerator drift and focusing). I’m a tech-school graduate with a background in automotive repair, having worked on cars for four years. She’s well aware of the value this brings to her community, and she believes that we need to go beyond the traditional four-year college approach. She emphasizes the need to increase opportunities and ensure that high schools are adequately preparing students for careers in vocational trades.
She consistently voted against every proposal I attempted to advance in that field.
You mentioned earlier that a significant portion of the opposition to the department stems from a lack of understanding of the role of the federal government. What would be the ideal way to address and dispel this widespread misconception?
It’s a misconception in the public, but it’s also misinformation from those who aim to undermine public education. I don’t think my friends on the Hill are aware that our role is actually quite limited. We cover only about 9% of education funding; in contrast, 91% comes from state and local sources.
Prior to taking on this role, I served as a commissioner of education, a district leader, a principal, and a teacher. In each of those positions, I had a greater degree of input on curriculum compared to being a secretary.
The FAFSA system has faced significant issues, with a significant portion of the problems stemming from its relationships with contractors and the federal contracting process, as discussed in texts about the FAFSA. Could the next administration or Congressional leaders take action to rectify these issues?
We’ve already taken care of it. We’ve fixed the issue. It was handled internally.
There was a six-month period when things were really challenging. It seemed like almost everything else in the news scene was sluggish, as much attention was focused on it.
What often flies under the radar is that in the same year, 500,000 more students had access to federal funds than in the previous year. Student enrollment increased by 5%.
It was worth the effort because we achieved it.
Zachary Schermele is a news reporter specializing in education for USA TODAY. You can contact him by email at zschermele@, or follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.
As he leaves the scene, a senior Biden administration official is expressing concerns
