Cardona’s legacy is worth following
News that State Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona had been tapped by the Biden administration as the next U.S. secretary of education was a bright spot for our state at the end of a year of so much darkness. The announcement should be a collective source of national pride, and also serve as proof that in picking Cardona, Connecticut got it right.
We can get the choice of our next commissioner right, as well, by looking at what made Cardona’s tenure a success. There are two critical areas where Connecticut’s next education commissioner should continue the state’s current focus: following the established advice of scientists to keep school doors open for in-person learning in the best interests of children, and committing to accountability for students’ academic progress during and after the pandemic.
As the State Department of Education began to prepare for a fall 2020 school year, it showed an early commitment to having schools reopen in person. In Connecticut’s “Plan to Learn and Grow Together,” Cardona’s foreword described how school closures due to COVID-19 had immediately necessitated a renewed focus on the inequalities within our education system. One of the guiding principles of that July document was “allowing all students the opportunity to return to school full time starting in the fall.” At the time controversial, the idea — which was repeatedly reiterated (although not mandated) by the Lamont administration — was the best option for students, particularly those with higher needs. It was clear, from the variances in both the quality and accessibility of remote learning and the rising numbers of students disengaging, that there was an acute need for children to return to school in person.
The department under Cardona was likewise ahead of its time in its stance towards ongoing accountability considerations. Although the annual standardized assessments were waived for the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic, the department sent out a memo in October indicating that the statewide Smarter Balanced Assessment would resume in 2021. The data from the renewed assessments will allow the state to track long-term trends, including opportunity gaps and subgroup performance. It will also serve to monitor the extent of the COVID slide so that informed decisions can be made on interventions and resources. There is already significant pressure to abandon the SBAC this year, but continuing to collect and publish this data is a matter of equity: it holds state and local education systems accountable for doing the best they can for all students, and intervening with funding and support when needed.
Carrying these two critical areas of focus forward is the best way to continue the good work of Cardona who, while not considered a conventional choice for education secretary according to some, was clearly the right one. During this year’s pandemic, the same equity interests guided him to advocate for schools to stay open and accountable. He has now been elevated to a national stage because of that consistent commitment during this particularly hard year for students — many already burdened with poverty, low expectations driven by racism, and with additional learning needs. The next commissioner appointed by Gov. Ned Lamont should honor that legacy and continue the educational equity work underway.
During the pandemic, Cardona has been effective and candid, delivering some difficult and often unpopular news to students, faculty, districts and advocates. However, he centered his policy considerations on the too-often deprioritized well-being of students, while navigating the very vocalized concerns of adults. This leadership set him apart and put Connecticut front and center in the presidential transition. Appointing the next leader who will continue that work would meaningfully move the state and all its students forward in a better new year.