Statement on Nomination of Miguel Cardona to Serve as Secretary of Education

WASHINGTON, DC – Student Defense President Aaron Ament issued a statement regarding the nomination of Miguel Cardona to serve as Secretary of Education.

“Dr. Miguel Cardona’s solid track record in Connecticut, along with his demonstrated commitment to social and educational justice, is excellent news for the nation,” said Student Defense President Aaron Ament. “Dr. Cardona will take over a Department tasked with helping millions of students struggling with inequities that have only been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that he will move quickly to address the urgent challenges facing higher education, and we look forward to working constructively together in the months and years ahead.”

Over the past three months, Student Defense has laid out a 100 Day Docket initiative, identifying opportunities for the next Secretary of Education to strengthen enforcement efforts and take administrative actions to protect students in higher education.

These proposals, which have already garnered public support from senators and state attorneys general, include exercising underused authorities in the Higher Education Act to foster equity, implementing stronger protections for students, providing automatic debt relief to hundreds of thousands of former students with disabilities and those who attended schools that closed, and bringing accountability to predatory colleges and other actors.

More information about the project is available at www.100DayDocket.org.