Miguel Cardona

Cardona was born on July 11, 1975, in Meriden, Connecticut, to Puerto Rican parents.[2][5] Cardona grew up speaking Spanish as his first language and struggled to learn English when starting kindergarten.[6] He was raised in a housing project in Meriden and graduated from the H.C. Wilcox Technical High School, where he was a part of the automotive studies program.[7][8][9] Cardona earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Central Connecticut State University in 1997. He obtained a Master of Science in bilingual and bicultural education at University of Connecticut (UConn) in 2001. In 2004, he completed a professional sixth year certification at UConn where he earned a Doctor of Education in 2011.[10][11] Cardona's dissertation entitled, Sharpening the Focus of Political Will to Address Achievement Disparities, studied the gaps between English-language learners and their classmates.[11][6] Cardona's doctoral major advisor was Barry G. Sheckley and his associate advisor was Casey D. Cobb.[11]

Cardona began his career as a fourth-grade teacher of Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. In 2003, at Hanover Elementary School, he was promoted and made the youngest principal in the state's history for ten years. From 2015 to 2019, Cardona served as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in his home town.[12][13] Cardona was also an adjunct professor of education in the University of Connecticut's Department of Educational Leadership.[14] During his career, he has focused on closing gaps between English-language learners and their peers.[6]

In August 2019, Governor Ned Lamont appointed Cardona as Commissioner of Education; Cardona is the first Latino to be appointed to the position.[10][15]

In 2002, Cardona married Marissa Pérez, a family-school liaison and former Miss Connecticut (2001).[21][22] They have two children.[10]

• Connecticut State Department of Education