President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona to be the country's next secretary of education.

Biden made the formal announcement Tuesday night, and officially introduced him Wednesday morning in a news conference. 

"It shouldn’t take a pandemic for us to realize how important teachers are for this country," said Cardona during the introduction. Read Dr. Cardona remarks here.

The president-elect tweeted: "An educator will lead the Department of Education. I am proud to nominated Dr. Miguel Cardona to ensure all of our teachers are taken care of, and our children have an opportunity to thrive."

Gov. Ned Lamont was live on air when the announcement was made.

He went to Twitter to react to the nomination, saying: "Commissioner Miguel Cardona has been a guiding hand and a steady leader for Connecticut since he assumed his role at the state Department of Education. His career in public education brought him to all parts of the school. From the bus to the school yard, to the classroom and the principal's chair, Miguel has the experience necessary to lead our country's children through this next vitally important phase."

The U.S. Senate must confirm Cardona's nomination.

If confirmed, there is no word on who would fill Cardona's role in Connecticut.