U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has appointed a new chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Education. Lexi Barrett joined the administration of President Joe Biden in October 2021 as a senior advisor, according to a July 31 news release
"Lexi comes from a family of educators," Cardona said in the release, "and has channeled that passion for educational opportunity into a career, dedicated to ensuring our federal policies lead to tangible progress for our nation's students."
Cardona said he is "thrilled" to have Barrett as the new chief of staff, calling her "a trusted advisor who already commands tremendous respect throughout the U.S. Department of Education," the release reported.
Barrett began her tenure with the Biden administration as a senior advisor for education in the Office of the First Lady, according to the release, and, as a member of the Biden-Harris Transition Team, served as navigator to Cardona during his confirmation process.
Barrett was most recently an associate vice president at Jobs for the Future, a national nonprofit organization that works to create U.S. education and workforce systems that provide equitable economic advancement opportunities for everyone, according to its website.
Before joining JFF, Lexi spent nearly a decade in public service at the federal level. She worked on Capitol Hill for six years as a legislative assistant to Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; served in President Barrack Obama's administration as a policy advisor in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at EDU; and worked as a senior policy advisor on the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, the release reported.
Barrett's brings extensive experience in education and public policy to her new role. She has previously contributed to critical areas such as higher education accountability, expansion of access to early learning programs and the reimagining of college and career pathways, the release stated.
"From advancing accountability in higher education in the U.S. Senate, to expanding access to early learning programs in the Obama-Biden White House, to reimagining college and career pathways in the Biden-Harris administration, Lexi’s deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face in education today will be an asset in our Department’s continued efforts to Raise the Bar for all students," Cardona said in the release.
