Dr. Miguel A. Cardona became the 12th U.S. Secretary of Education after a distinguished career as an elementary school teacher, principal, district administrator, and Connecticut education commissioner. He is a firm believer that being an educator isn’t just a job – it’s an extension of your life’s purpose. Secretary Cardona’s focus throughout his career on raising the bar for equity and excellence for all learners guides his leadership of the agency in service of the nation’s 65 million students and families. He oversaw efforts to safely reopen schools for in-person learning, going from only 46% of schools open when President Biden took office to nearly 100% open just nine months later, while distributing historic federal education funding for K-12 schools and colleges, and working to draft and implement President Biden’s historic plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for working and middle-income borrowers. Across all of these priorities, Secretary Cardona has highlighted the urgency of seizing the moment through intentional collaboration – and the opportunity we have not only to recover from the pandemic, but to reimagine a more equitable education system that works better for all. He and his wife Marissa are proud parents of one student in public high school and another in college.