Five months after leaving his “dream job” as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, Puerto Rican educator Miguel Cardona has embarked on a new stage in his career: starting his own business.
In an interview, the former Secretary explained that Cardona Solutions embodies “the work that was left in the To Do list after four years,” his transition to the private sector, and that which still connects him to Puerto Rico: his commitment to education.
The educational consulting firm, founded in May 2025 in Meriden, CT, seeks to offer consulting and mentoring services to schools, school districts, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders in the state –where Puerto Ricans represent 8% of the population– and across the entire nation.
“Cardona Solutions was born thanks to all the calls I was getting from people who needed help. I realized there was a need to support institutions that truly want to create meaningful change for their students,” the educator stated.
He also noted that his experience as a teacher, school principal, state commissioner, and federal secretary gives him a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the education system in the United States.
“Former President Joe Biden chose me for that position because of my experience, not due to favoritism. I am more knowledgeable than half of the people in senior positions at the Department of Education, and now I am sharing that knowledge from another perspective,” said the former Secretary.
His Business Strategies
Cardona Solutions offers various collaborative partnerships to address issues such as transformational leadership, institutional culture, equity, and educational innovation.
For example, the company has partnered with the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) to train the jurisdiction’s principals and superintendents to respond to any crisis or challenge.
“Especially after the (COVID-19) pandemic, when academic performance declined and educational leaders had to innovate and adapt to new teaching methods,” Cardona added.
In September, he will also start working as a professor in the Department of Government at Harvard University, in Massachusetts, and is in talks for a collaboration with the Springfield school district of the same state.
Recent and upcoming appointments include speaking engagements and seminars with University of Connecticut (UConn), Yale University, Southern Connecticut State University, the National Association for Bilingual Education, the School Nutrition Association, the Ohio Education Association, and the National Association for Music Education.
According to Cardona, “what is lacking in schools is getting students ready for college and the professional world.”
In this regard, Cardona Solutions offers other partnerships solely aimed at offering undergraduate programs in high school that lead to certifications and internships in companies, so that students can learn about the labor market.
The “Superpower" of Being Bilingual
Although Cardona was born in Meriden, his parents are originally from Aguada, Puerto Rico. He grew up in a bilingual and bicultural home, and when he started school, he went in as an English language learner (ELL). That’s why he now refers to the ability to communicate in both languages as a superpower.
“That led me to the secretary chair. That is the challenge Latino students in the U.S. must strive to overcome. It’s a skill that opens all kinds of doors,” the educator highlighted.
Along those lines, he mentioned that Cardona Solutions has another type of partnership aimed at students that consists precisely of “unleashing their superpowers” by fostering school environments that highlight cultural and linguistic diversity.
These partnerships help school districts to develop inclusive curricula and to pay special attention to multilingual students, respecting their native language as they learn English.
Cardona Solutions also offers workshops on college affordability to guide students and their parents on the financial aid available and how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Regarding the differences in challenges between working as a consultant and as a public servant, he asserted that “nothing changes at all. The focus remains the same –the students,– which many seem to forget, especially in Puerto Rico.”
Steadfast Commitment to the Island
For Cardona, the greatest challenge he faced during his four-year term as U.S. Secretary of Education was not being able to finish the work he started with Puerto Rico.
“I didn't have enough time, and what they’re doing now with education over there is destroying it. I allocated $6.6 billion during my tenure, and since I left, there has been a major decline,” the entrepreneur said.
The money allocated to the island during his tenure combined several grants to support student mental health after the pandemic, the reopening of schools after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the earthquake swarm in 2020, among others.
"I’ve been the only Secretary who has made Puerto Rico a priority, and they’re always politicizing everything instead of worrying about the students, which is the only thing that matters,” he continued.
The former Secretary has been vocal before, and he reiterated during the interview, that it is the students’ parents who should elect school principals and superintendents in Puerto Rico, “and not the politicians in San Juan.”
On the other hand, he argued that all the cuts, layoffs, and decisions made by President Donald Trump regarding the Department of Education and all the work he left behind have been “devastating.”
“But I am hopeful…,” the former Secretary concluded with optimism. “Very soon, all that will change, and Puerto Rico will let me help them.”
