Roughly 450 K-12 leaders from across the state attended the opening of NCASA’s 2026 Conference on Educational Leadership (CEL) this morning in Wilmington, where former United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green both made remarks about the current state and future of public education.
Dr. Miguel Cardona, who served as the 12th U.S. Secretary of Education from 2021 to 2025, kicked off Day 1 of the CEL with an uplifting message about public education. “I come here with a firm belief in the power of public education as the great equalizer for opportunity and students,” said Dr. Cardona.
Secretary Cardona stressed that “there has never been a more consequential time to lead” and urged school leaders to “keep your oath even when keeping your oath hurts. This is a challenging time in education, a time that requires us to make hard choices, and follow through on those choices for your students.”
He opened his remarks by highlighting three famous North Carolinians who got their start in North Carolina’s public schools – basketball legend Michael Jordan, jazz great John Coltrane, and astronaut Christina Koch – and shared how a public school teacher set him on a path in his teenage years to begin advocating for social justice and strong public schools. Dr. Cardona was later able to honor this teacher by bringing her to sit behind his desk at the U.S. Department of Education during his term as Secretary. He also shared leadership tips learned from his own career and urged North Carolina’s school leaders to fight to uplift their schools, staff, and students.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green followed Dr. Cardona’s remarks with a focus on the successes and challenges facing North Carolina public schools. Superintendent Green highlighted recent public education successes in Advanced Placement exam growth, Career and Technical Education (CTE) credential gains, and graduation rate increases.
Superintendent Green also acknowledged the headwinds facing school leaders. He charged the audience to continue to “celebrate the good” in public schools and urged leaders “to take care of themselves.”
The CEL continues tomorrow with remarks from Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt, the first public airing of a new NCASA documentary, a forward-looking panel discussion on overcoming current challenges in public education, and the announcement of NCASA’s incoming Executive Director.