On Wednesday morning a Senate committee weighed in on the nomination of former San Diego Unified School District Superintendent, Cindy Marten. Marten has been nominated for the position of Deputy Secretary of Education by the Biden administration.
Cindy Marten faced her fair share of criticism during her time in San Diego. On Wednesday, a group of local parents gathered to protest her nomination. They say those criticisms make her unqualified for the Deputy Secretary of Education position.
The group says they hope senators will listen to them. One parent said her child has been denied the right “to be free with his blackness” since he came into the school district at five years old. The parent added her child has been denied the right to peacefully protest as well as the right to “walk in certain places on campus.”
During Wednesday’s nomination hearing, Cindy Marten was questioned and examined by both sides of the political aisle. Many of the difficult questions were about her time as the head of the San Diego Unified School District. The questioning included an exchange with Senator Mitt Romney of Utah about why schools in San Diego Unified were closed and still remain closed during the pandemic.
San Diego Unified does have a reopening date set for April 12.
Dr. Miguel Cardona has already been confirmed as Biden’s pick for Secretary of Education. The full committee vote on Marten's nomination is expected this week.
To watch the nomination hearing, click here.
Watch: San Diego's Dr. Cindy Marten tapped for Biden's Deputy Secretary of Education