Education secretary candidates include ex-Howard University dean, Connecticut schools commissioner

Leslie Fenwick, dean emeritus of Howard University School of Education and a professor of educational policy and leadership, and Miguel Cardona, Connecticut's commissioner of education, have emerged as two of the top contenders for President-elect Joe Biden's education secretary, several people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.

The education secretary will help schools navigate the final phase of the pandemic, with Biden saying he wants the person to create "clear, consistent, effective national guidelines." Biden's transition team is taking a close look at Fenwick and Cardona, several people told the Post, but there are still others under consideration and nothing is set in stone. Biden is expected to announce his pick before Christmas.

During his campaign, Biden said he would choose someone who taught in public schools for education secretary, and both Fenwick and Cardona have experience as K-12 teachers. Fenwick and Cardona also have courted controversy, the Post notes — Fenwick has criticized Teach for America and attempts to introduce corporate-style management techniques at schools, while Cardona pushed to get kids back into the classroom for in-person learning amid the pandemic.

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