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|name = Department of Education
|name = Department of Education
|image = US-DeptOfEducation-Seal.svg
|image = US-DeptOfEducation-Seal.svg
|secretary = [[John King (New York)|John King Jr.]]
|secretary = [[Linda McMahon]]
|deputy secretary = James Cole Jr., Acting
|deputy secretary =  
|budget = $87.4 billion (2015)
|budget =  
|employment = 4,400 (2013)
|employment =  
|year =  1980
|year =  1980
|website = [http://www.ed.gov/ U.S. Department of Education]
|website = [http://www.ed.gov/ Ed.gov]
}}{{tnr}}{{ExecDeptsbox}}The U.S. Department of Education is a United States executive department established in 1980. The department was formed to promote educational excellence and ensure equal opportunity for public schooling.<ref name="DOEabout">[http://www2.ed.gov/about/landing.jhtml ''U.S. Department of Education'', "About Ed: Overview and Mission Statement," accessed October 2, 2013]</ref> Of the 15 Cabinet agencies, the U.S. Department of Education has the smallest staff and the third largest discretionary budget.<ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "The Federal Role in Education," accessed November 10, 2015]</ref>
}}{{tnr}}{{ExecDeptsbox}}
::See also: ''[[United States education agencies]]''<br>
The '''U.S. Department of Education''' is a United States executive department established in 1980. The department was formed to promote educational excellence and ensure equal opportunity for public schooling.<ref name="DOEabout">[http://www2.ed.gov/about/landing.jhtml ''U.S. Department of Education'', "About Ed: Overview and Mission Statement," accessed October 2, 2013]</ref> Of the 15 Cabinet agencies, the U.S. Department of Education has the smallest staff and the third largest discretionary budget.<ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "The Federal Role in Education," accessed November 10, 2015]</ref><br>


The current U.S. Secretary of Education is [[John King (New York)|John King Jr]]. King was [[Appointment confirmation process|confirmed]] by the [[United States Senate|Senate]] on March 14, 2016, by a vote of 49-40.<ref name=confirm>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=2&vote=00036 ''Senate.gov'', "On the Nomination (Confirmation John B. King, of New York, to be Secretary of Education )," accessed March 19, 2016]</ref>
[[Linda McMahon]] is the U.S. secretary of education. [[Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025|Click here]] to learn more about her confirmation process.
 
After seven years in the position, [[Arne Duncan]] stepped down as secretary on December 31, 2015, and King replaced Duncan as acting secretary.<ref>[http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Education-Secretary-Arne-Duncan-Stepping-Down-330408541.html ''NBC Chicago'', "Education Secretary Arne Duncan Stepping Down After 7 Years in Obama Administration: AP Source," October 2, 2015]</ref><ref name=reshape>[http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/how-arne-duncan-reshaped-american-education-made-enemies-along-way-n480506 ''NBC News'', "How Arne Duncan Reshaped American Education and Made Enemies Along the Way," accessed January 5, 2016]</ref> Initially, King was expected to serve with the title of acting U.S. Secretary of Education, which would have allowed "him to serve during the remaining year of the Obama administration without getting the OK from Congress," according to ''U.S. News''.<ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/10/02/remarks-president-secretary-arne-duncan-and-dr-john-king-personnel ''WhiteHouse.gov'', "Remarks by the President, Secretary Arne Duncan, and Dr. John King in Personnel Announcement," accessed November 1, 2015]</ref><ref name=usnews>[http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/10/05/5-things-to-know-about-the-new-education-secretary-john-king ''U.S. News'', "5 Things to Know About the New Education Secretary," accessed November 1, 2015]</ref><ref name=acting>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/hes-acting-but-the-nations-new-education-secretary-is-for-real/2016/01/05/b445e062-b3d2-11e5-a76a-0b5145e8679a_story.html ''Washington Post'', "He’s acting, but the nation’s new education secretary is for real," accessed January 5, 2016]</ref> President Obama then formally nominated King for U.S. Secretary of Education on February 11, 2016.<ref name=nom>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/11/president-obama-announces-his-intent-nominate-john-b-king-secretary ''WhiteHouse.gov'', "President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate John B. King as Secretary of Education," accessed February 13, 2016]</ref>


==History==
==History==
Education in the U.S. is primarily the responsibility of states and local districts. The [[United States Constitution]] does not mention any role for the federal government in education, and, according to the [[United States Constitution|Tenth Amendment]], anything not mentioned in the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] is left to the states to decide. A federal department of education was originally created in 1867 to help the states set up school systems by gathering information about teaching, schools and teachers. The current U.S. Department of Education was established by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1980. It united several existing offices across different agencies into a Cabinet level agency located in the executive branch. Over the years, the location of the department in the government and its name has changed several times, and its scope, number of personnel and budget has significantly increased.<ref name="DOEabout"/><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed on January 20, 2014]</ref>   
Education in the U.S. is primarily the responsibility of states and local districts. The [[United States Constitution]] does not mention any role for the federal government in education, and, according to the [[United States Constitution|Tenth Amendment]], anything not mentioned in the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] is left to the states to decide. A federal department of education was originally created in 1867 to help the states set up school systems by gathering information about teaching, schools, and teachers. The current U.S. Department of Education was established by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1980. It united several existing offices across different agencies into a Cabinet level agency located in the executive branch. Over the years, the location of the department in the government and its name has changed several times, and its scope, number of personnel and budget has significantly increased.<ref name="DOEabout"/><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed January 20, 2014]</ref>   


The department's mission of fostering educational excellence and equal access arose out of the cultural and political events in the post-World War II era. The [[National Defense Education Act (NDEA)]], the first comprehensive federal education law, was passed by Congress in 1958 in response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik during the Cold War. The department added its "public access" mission in response to anti-poverty and civil rights legislation of the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="DOEabout"/><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed on January 20, 2014]</ref>   
The department's mission of fostering educational excellence and equal access arose out of the cultural and political events in the post-World War II era. The [[National Defense Education Act (NDEA)]], the first comprehensive federal education law, was passed by Congress in 1958 in response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik during the Cold War. The department added its "public access" mission in response to anti-poverty and civil rights legislation of the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="DOEabout"/><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed January 20, 2014]</ref>   


Although the federal government provides only about 12 percent of the overall education spending of $1.15 trillion, the role of the federal government in setting education policy has grown considerably over the last several decades. The department implements laws passed by Congress and administers grants to states for certain programs, such as the [[No Child Left Behind Act]], [[Race to the Top]] and Title One School Improvement Grants.<ref name="DOEabout"/><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed on January 20, 2014]</ref><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/policy/policy-by-program.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Policy Overview," accessed January 20, 2014]</ref>  
Although the federal government provides only about 12 percent of the overall education spending of $1.15 trillion, the role of the federal government in setting education policy has grown considerably over the last several decades. The department implements laws passed by Congress and administers grants to states for certain programs, such as the [[No Child Left Behind Act]], [[Race to the Top]] and Title One School Improvement Grants.<ref name="DOEabout"/><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed January 20, 2014]</ref><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/policy/policy-by-program.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Policy Overview," accessed January 20, 2014]</ref>  


===Timeline===
===Timeline===
The following is a list of important dates in the history of the federal government's role in education:<ref name="hist"/><ref>[http://www.today.com/id/39154333/ns/today-back_to_school/t/timeline-moments-changed-public-education/#.Uk2aS4aUTxw ''Today'', "Timeline: Moments that changed public education," accessed October 3, 2013]</ref>
The following is a list of important dates in the history of the federal government's role in education:<ref name="hist"/><ref>[http://www.today.com/id/39154333/ns/today-back_to_school/t/timeline-moments-changed-public-education/#.Uk2aS4aUTxw ''Today'', "Timeline: Moments that changed public education," accessed October 3, 2013]</ref>


*1862: The First Morrill Act provided the first federal aid for higher education by donating land for setting up colleges.<ref>[http://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?flash=true&page=&doc=33&title=Morrill+Act+%281862%29 ''ourdocuments.gov'', "Morrill Act (1862)," accessed April 18, 2014.]</ref>
*1862: The First Morrill Act provided the first federal aid for higher education by donating land for setting up colleges.<ref>[http://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?flash=true&page=&doc=33&title=Morrill+Act+%281862%29 ''ourdocuments.gov'', "Morrill Act (1862)," accessed April 18, 2014]</ref>
*1890: The Second Morrill Act established a support system for land-grant colleges and universities.
*1890: The Second Morrill Act established a support system for land-grant colleges and universities.
*1896: The [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] case ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]]'' legalized segregation in "separate but equal" schools.
*1896: The [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] case ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]]'' legalized segregation in "separate but equal" schools.
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*2010: The [[Race to the Top]] program encouraged states to compete for federal grants in education.
*2010: The [[Race to the Top]] program encouraged states to compete for federal grants in education.


==Structure==
==Mission==
===Mission===
The U.S. Department of Education's official department mission statement is as follows:
The U.S. Department of Education's official department mission statement is as follows:
{{Quote|ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
{{Quote|ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
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*Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.|author=Department of Education<ref name=mission>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/mission/mission.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Mission," accessed November 10, 2015]</ref>}}
*Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.|author=Department of Education<ref name=mission>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/mission/mission.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Mission," accessed November 10, 2015]</ref>}}


===Leadership===
==Leadership==
The current U.S. Secretary of Education is [[John King (New York)|John King Jr]]. King was [[Appointment confirmation process|confirmed]] by the [[United States Senate|Senate]] on March 14, 2016, by a vote of 49-40.<ref name=confirm>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=2&vote=00036 ''Senate.gov'', "On the Nomination (Confirmation John B. King, of New York, to be Secretary of Education )," accessed March 19, 2016]</ref>
{{TASP vnt small}}
 
{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="background:none; text-align:center; width:70%;"
{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="background:none; text-align:center; width:70%;"
! colspan="9" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" |'''Recent Secretaries of Education'''
! colspan="9" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" |'''Recent Secretaries of Education'''
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|  [[Arne Duncan]]|| 2009-2015||[[Barack Obama]]
|  [[Arne Duncan]]|| 2009-2015||[[Barack Obama]]
|-
|-
|  [[John King (New York)|John King Jr.]]|| 2016-Present||[[Barack Obama]]
|  [[John King (New York)|John King Jr.]]|| 2016-2017||[[Barack Obama]]
|-
|  [[Betsy DeVos]]|| 2017-2021||[[Donald Trump]]
|-
|  [[Miguel Cardona]]|| 2021-2025||[[Joe Biden]]
|-
|  Denise Carter (acting)|| 2025-2025||[[Donald Trump]]
|-
|  [[Linda McMahon]]|| 2025-present||[[Donald Trump]]
|-
|-
|}
|}
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|}
|}


===Organizational chart===
==Organization==
[[File:Doe org chart.gif]]
[https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/or/index.html Click here] to view the Department of Education's organizational chart.
 
===Budget===
====Obama administration====
{|
|-
|<pLines
Title="U.S. Department of Education Annual Budget"
colors=B45F06
labels= true
xlabels= true
legend= true
grid= true
gridcolor= 000000
bgcolor=ffffff
graphbgcolor= efefef
graphbgtype=normal
box= true
boxcolor= 000000
plots= closed
size= 460x300>
,Budget in billions
2009, 39.9
2010, 63.0
2011, 43.9
2012, 40.6
2013, 40.0
2014, 55.3
2015, 87.4
</pLines>
|}
{{Dept budget table
|Collapse=N
|Name =U.S. Department of Education<ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/history/edhistory.pdf ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Department Budget History," accessed February 7, 2014]</ref>
|Year 1 = 2009
|Average 1 =39.9
|Year 2 = 2010
|Average 2 =63.0
|Year 3 = 2011
|Average 3 =43.9
|Year 4 = 2012
|Average 4 = 40.6
|Year 5 = 2013
|Average 5 = 40.0
|Year 6 = 2014
|Average 6 = 55.3
|Year 7 = 2015
|Average 7 = 87.4
|Year 8 = 2016
|Average 8 = 73.8
}}
*''Note: 2016 only represents the president's budget request, not an enacted budget.''
 
==Initiatives and legislation==
===The Obama administration===
====Race to the Top====
::''See also: [[Race to the Top]]''
{{Education gen nav sm}}[[Race to the Top]] is a multi-billion dollar U.S. Department of Education competitive grant program to support education reform and innovation in state and local district K-12 education. It was initially funded with $4.35 billion by the ED Recovery Act as part of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] and was announced by President [[Barack Obama]] and then-U.S. Secretary of Education [[Arne Duncan]] on July 24, 2009.<ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/07/07242009.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "President Obama, U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan Announce National Competition to Advance School Reform," accessed June 30, 2014]</ref>
 
The stated goal of the Race to the Top grant program was to encourage and reward states that were:
{{Quote|creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing ambitious plans in four core education reform areas.<ref name="execsummary">[http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf ''U.S Department of Education'', "Race to the Top Executive Summary," issued November 2009.]</ref>}}
 
Since making its first awards in 2010, the Race to the Top program has provided over $6 billion to 24 states and D.C. through three phases of the flagship competition, and 20 states during the three rounds of the "Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge." In 2012, the Department of Education launched the first "Race to the Top--District" program, which has funded 21 states in two rounds of the competition. About 80 school districts across 21 states and D.C. have received about $500 million to support plans for college and career readiness programs, which included implementing [[Common Core State Standards Initiative|common standards]]. For the fiscal year 2015, the department's budget request included $300 million for a new "Race to the Top Equity and Opportunity" competition that would provide incentives and resources for states and school districts with persisting opportunity and achievement gaps.<ref>[http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/states-continue-progress-during-second-year-race-top-0 ''U.S. Department of Education'', "States Continue Progress During Second Year of Race to the Top," June 13, 2014]</ref>
 
In order to be eligible to compete for the awards, states needed to enact four types of reforms:
*Adopt standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college, the workplace and the global economy.
*Build data systems to measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how to improve instruction.
*Recruit, develop, reward and retain effective teachers and principals, especially where they are most needed.
*Turn around the lowest-achieving schools.<ref name="execsummary"/>
 
'''Common Core State Standards'''<br>
::''See also: [[Common Core State Standards Initiative]]''
In order to make their Race to the Top applications more competitive, forty-eight states adopted common standards for K-12, known as the [[Common Core|Common Core State Standards]] (CCSS). The White House announced a $350 million federal grant funding the development of assessments aligned to the [[Common Core|Common Core State Standards]]. States that adopted these standards stood the best chance of winning grants, although technically the actual Common Core standards were not explicitly part of any federal initiative, according to the [http://www.corestandards.org corestandards.org] website.<ref>[http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/ '''corestandards.org'', "Myths about Implementation," accessed June 30, 2014]</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/04/AR2010060404807.html?waporef=obinsite ''Washington Post'', "Virginia's stance against national standards is a blow for students," June 5, 2010]</ref>
 
Some claimed that the grants were a powerful incentive in getting CCSS implemented, and that these grants allowed the U.S. Department of Education to circumvent federal laws that prohibit the federal government from interfering in education at the state and local level. These incentive grants were helpful in shoring up education budgets in cash-strapped states after the financial crisis of 2008.<ref>[http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/06/higher-standards-better-tests-race-to-the-top/ ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Higher Standards, Better Tests, Race to the Top," June 15, 2009]</ref><ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-assessment/index.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Race to the Top Assessment Program," June 24, 2010]</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bill-gates-pulled-off-the-swift-common-core-revolution/2014/06/07/a830e32e-ec34-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html ''The Washington Post'', "How Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolution," June 7, 2014]</ref>
 
'''Jindal lawsuit'''<br>
[[Louisiana Governor]] [[Bobby Jindal]] (R) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education over Common Core standards. The governor alleged the department broke federal law and violated the 10th Amendment of the [[United States Constitution]] because he argued the administration essentially forced the Common Core standards on states. In the lawsuit, Jindal explained, "The proponents of Common Core will tell you that it’s simply about one test and about standards, but that’s a ruse. Common Core is about controlling curriculum. Educators know that what’s tested is what’s taught. Make no mistake — Common Core tests will drive curriculum. Common Core supporters should own up to this fact and finally admit they want to control curriculum. These are big government elitists that believe they know better than parents and local school boards."<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/bobby-jindal-common-core-lawsuit-110377.html#ixzz3BcyeAvAJ ''Politico'', "Bobby Jindal sues federal government over the Common Core," August 27, 2014]</ref>
 
'''Teacher evaluation & [[Teacher merit pay|merit pay]]'''<br>
In 2012, Duncan stated that merit pay for teachers was the U.S. Department of Education's highest priority.<ref>[http://www.nea.org/home/36780.htm ''National Education Association,'' "Pay Based on Test Scores?" accessed February 20, 2014]</ref> The $4.3 billion [[Understanding Race to the Top: Effects and Criticism|Race to the Top fund]] encouraged states to implement performance pay systems for teachers, among other changes.<ref>[http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Race to the Top Fund," accessed February 20, 2014]</ref>
 
'''Union calls for Duncan's resignation'''<br>
A vote by members of the [[National Education Association]] on July 4, 2014, called for Duncan's resignation. A majority of the 9,000 delegates attending the convention in [[Denver, Colorado]] made the vote because "the Department's failed education agenda focused on more high-stakes testing, grading and pitting public school students against each other based on test scores." The vote originated from the [[California Teachers Association]] after Duncan commented on the court case ''Vergara v. California'', which dealt a blow to tenure rules in the state. Motions calling for Duncan's resignation have been raised at each of the NEA's annual meetings since 2010, but none had received the majority vote for passage.<ref>[http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2014/07/nea_calls_for_sec_duncans_resi.html ''Education Week'', "NEA Calls for Secretary Duncan's Resignation," July 4, 2014]</ref> Then-NEA President Dennis Van Roekel defended the vote, claiming the union would continue to push the administration to put forward policies "that are influenced by those who know best— educators working in our classrooms and in our schools — rather than profiteers." When asked for Duncan's comments on the vote, a department spokesperson stated, "Secretary Duncan looks forward to continuing to work with NEA and its new leadership."<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/arne-duncan-dismiss-resignation-call-national-education-association-108615.html#ixzz37jiDRPED ''Politico'', "Arne Duncan dismisses union call for resignation," July 7, 2014]</ref>
 
Another union, the American Federation of Teachers, passed a resolution on July 13, 2014, calling for Duncan's resignation if he didn't show improvement under a plan proposed by President [[Barack Obama|Obama]]. The resolution urged the department to move away from [[No Child Left Behind Act]] and [[Race to the Top]]'s "test-and-punish" tactics and move toward a system of supporting teachers and students. AFT President Randi Weingarten claimed the vote represented the union saying, "'Enough is enough.' Teachers are evaluated and their future livelihoods are linked to that. And when they fall short, they should have a chance to improve. And that’s what this special order represents." A department spokesperson said of the vote, "the transformation that educators and policymakers are leading to prepare all students for college and careers is incredibly difficult, and too often the adults fight about how to best help the kids."<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/arne-duncan-american-federation-of-teachers-108854.html#ixzz37jlCvlUK ''Politico'', "Another teachers union ding for Arne Duncan," July 13, 2014]</ref>
 
'''Opposition to Race to the Top'''<br>
*Critics argued that the Race to the Top funding model would take resources from already struggling school systems and create vast disparities in achievement. Supporters maintained that only a "small but significant" portion of Race to the Top funds would go to states with the "best, homegrown plans for education reform," and that absent these incentives, the status-quo federal funding model would continue to fail students by ignoring innovation.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128843021 ''NPR'', "The New Republic: Defending Obama's Education Plan," July 29, 2010]</ref>
 
*Other opponents questioned whether these reforms could adequately induce innovation. They saw Race to the Top as evidence of "cartel federalism" in line with the [[George W. Bush|Bush administration's]] [[No Child Left Behind Act|No Child Left Behind policy]]. They did not believe reform would be achieved by further centralization of standards because "the ends of the educational system are still set by the same small group of officials, who are protected from competition."<ref>[http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/common-core-a-tocquevillean-education-or-cartel-federalism#axzz2n5ihNt8D ''FEE'', "Common Core: A Tocquevillean Education or Cartel Federalism?" May 14, 2013]</ref>
 
'''Support for Race to the Top'''<br>
*American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president Randi Weingarten supported Race to the Top, but in May of 2013, she called for a moratorium on full implementation. According to the AFT website, Weingarten said, "Done right, Common Core standards will 'lead to a revolution in teaching and learning' that puts critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork ahead of rote memorization and endless test-taking. ...Done wrong, 'they will end up in the overflowing dustbin of abandoned reforms, with people throwing up their hands,' believing that public schools are too broken to save."<ref>[http://www.aft.org/newspubs/news/2013/043013commoncore.cfm ''AFT'', "AFT calls for moratorium on Common Core consequences," May 1, 2013]</ref>
 
*Supporters also pointed out that Race to the Top incentivized states to design and pursue serious reforms before any money was handed out. The competition for potential grants induced reforms to improve instruction in both quality and kind across the board, not just among states who received grants.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0727/As-Race-to-the-Top-competition-intensifies-so-do-education-reforms ''Christian Science Monitor'', "As Race to the Top competition intensifies, so do education reforms," July 27, 2010]</ref>
 
====Racial inequality patterns in education====
The department's Office for Civil Rights conducted research on all 97,000 public schools in the United States and discovered several racial disparities ranging from preschool through high school.<ref name="wapoinequality">[http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304026304579453713331947366 ''Wall Street Journal'', "Suspensions More Likely for Black Students, Report Finds," March 21, 2014]</ref> The study revealed the following:
{{Quote|
*Access to preschool. About 40% of public school districts do not offer preschool, and where it is available, it is mostly part-day only. Of the school districts that operate public preschool programs, barely half are available to all students within the district.
 
*Suspension of preschool children. Black students represent 18% of preschool enrollment but 42% of students suspended once, and 48% of the students suspended more than once.
 
*Access to advanced courses. Eighty-one percent (81%) of Asian-American high school students and 71% of white high school students attend high schools where the full range of math and science courses are offered (Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics). However, less than half of American Indian and Native-Alaskan high school students have access to the full range of math and science courses in their high school. Black students (57%), Latino students (67%), students with disabilities (63%), and English language learner students (65%) also have less access to the full range of courses.
 
*Access to college counselors. Nationwide, one in five high schools lacks a school counselor; in Florida and Minnesota, more than two in five students lack access to a school counselor.
 
*Retention of English learners in high school. English learners make up 5% of high school enrollment but 11% of high school students held back each year.|author=U.S. Department of Education<ref name="doeracialreport">[http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/expansive-survey-americas-public-schools-reveals-troubling-racial-disparities ''ED.gov'', "Expansive Survey of America's Public Schools Reveals Troubling Racial Disparities," March 21, 2014]</ref>}}
 
In President [[Barack Obama]]'s 2015 budget request, a $300 million competition was added to the [[Race to the Top]] program rewarding schools using data-driven and creative solutions to improve their failing status.<ref name="wapoinequality"/>
 
====Reforming the higher education accreditation process====
On November 6, 2015, President Obama and then-U.S. Secretary of Education [[Arne Duncan]] announced a number of executive actions with the goal of improving the quality of higher education by holding accreditors responsible. According to the U.S. Department of Education, "Accreditors are responsible for ensuring baseline levels of acceptable quality and performance across diverse institutions, degree types, and academic programs." The administration also announced a number of guidelines for Congress to use when creating legislation to protect students and taxpayers from abuse and fraud in the accreditation system. A summary of the executive actions and guidelines appears below:<ref>[http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-advances-transparency-agenda-accreditation ''U.S. Department of Education'', "Department of Education Advances Transparency Agenda for Accreditation," accessed November 23, 2015]</ref>
 
*'''Executive actions:'''
:*Publishing each accreditor's standards for evaluating student outcomes
:*Increasing transparency in the accreditation process and in institutional oversight
:*Increasing coordination within the Department and among accreditors, other agencies, and states to improve oversight
:*Publishing key student and institutional metrics for postsecondary institutions arranged by accreditors
:*Promoting greater attention to outcomes within current accreditor review processes
 
*'''Proposed legislation guidelines:'''
:*Drive accountability through outcomes-driven and differentiated recognition
:*Require robust teach-out plans and reserve funds for high-risk institutions
:*Establish a set of standardized, common definitions and data reporting
:*Increase transparency on an expanded set of accreditation material and actions


==Education in the 50 states==
==Education in the 50 states==
Line 283: Line 163:
{{colend}}
{{colend}}


==Recent news==
==[[Noteworthy events]]==
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term '''U.S. + Department + Education'''
 
====Federal judge blocks President Trump's order to dismantle DOE (2025)====
On May 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge [[Myong Joun]] blocked Trump's March 20 executive order to shut down the Department of Education (DOE) and ordered the administration to reinstate fired workers. In a lawsuit, several education groups claimed that the Trump Administration hindered the department's ability to fulfill its mandated responsibilities, which include providing financial aid, supporting special education, and protecting civil rights. The executive order, titled "Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities," was written to shift education authority to the states and close the DOE beyond its "core necessities" of distributing Title I funding for low-income schools, money for special education, and Pell grants. On March 11, 2025, the Trump Administration laid off 1,300 workers, leaving the department with half its former workforce and most significantly impacting Federal Student Aid, the Office for Civil Rights, and the [[Institute of Education Sciences]]. Joun wrote that the layoffs "will likely cripple the Department," and noted that "the Department cannot be shut down without Congress’s approval." The Trump administration filed an appeal days later.<ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/ ''The White House'', "Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities," March 20, 2025]</ref><ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-blocks-trumps-executive-order-to-dismantle-education-department ''PBS'', "Judge blocks Trump’s executive order to dismantle Education Department," May 22, 2025]</ref>
 
====Trump administration rescinds Obama-era guidance document (2018)====
::''See also: [[Guidance (administrative state)]] and [[Rulemaking]]
The Trump administration rescinded [[guidance]] documents in July 2018 that had been issued by the DOE under the Obama administration. The [[guidance]] documents encouraged institutions of higher education to consider race as a factor in the admissions process as a means to achieving student diversity. The documents provided legal recommendations and contextual examples for schools considering race as a component of the admissions process.<ref name=cnn>[https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/03/politics/trump-administration-college-admissions/index.html ''CNN'', "Trump administration reverses Obama-era guidance on use of race in college admissions," July 3, 2018]</ref><ref name=wsj>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-to-rescind-obama-era-guidelines-on-race-in-college-admissions-1530619273 ''The Wall Street Journal'', "Trump Administration to Rescind Obama Guidelines on Race in College Admissions," July 3, 2018]</ref>
 
The decision to rescind the DOE's [[guidance]] documents occurred in light of an investigation launched by the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] (DOJ) in the summer of 2017 regarding allegations that Harvard University discriminated against Asian-American applicants by holding them to a higher standard than other applicants.<ref name=wsj/><ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/filings-provide-look-at-how-harvard-uses-race-in-admissions-1529068477?mod=article_inline ''The Wall Street Journal'', "Court Filings Detail Role of Race in Harvard Undergraduate Admissions," June 15, 2018]</ref>
 
Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]] announced the policy change on July 3, 2018. In his announcement, Sessions stated that the DOE is required to adopt new regulations through the [[rulemaking]] process, which provides members of the public with the opportunity to offer feedback on [[proposed rule]]s during [[comment period|public comment period]]s. He discouraged the agency from implementing regulations through [[guidance]] documents, which are issued by agencies in order to explain, interpret, or advise interested parties about rules, laws, and procedures:<ref name=cnn/> 


:''All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.''
{{Quote|The American people deserve to have their voices heard and a government that is accountable to them. When issuing regulations, federal agencies must abide by constitutional principles and follow the rules set forth by Congress and the President. In previous administrations, however, agencies often tried to impose new rules on the American people without any public notice or comment period, simply by sending a letter or posting a guidance document on a website. That's wrong, and it's not good government.<ref name=cnn/>}}


{{RSS|feed=http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&gl=us&q=U.S.+Department+Education&um=1&ie=UTF-8&output=rss|template=slpfeed|max=10|title=U.S. Department of Education News Feed}}
Sessions previously instructed the DOJ to refrain from issuing regulations through [[guidance]] documents in a November 2017 agency memo. For more information about Sessions' DOJ memo on [[guidance]], [[Guidance_(administrative_state)#Presidential administrations on guidance|'''click here''']].


==See also==
==See also==
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|-
|-
|valign="top"|
|valign="top"|
*[[John King (New York)|John King Jr.]]
*[[Betsy DeVos]]
*[[Arne Duncan]]
*[[Mick Zais]]
*[[U.S. Department of Defense]]
*[[U.S. Department of Defense]]
*[[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]]
*[[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]]
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==External links==
==External links==
{{submit a link}}
*[http://www.ed.gov Official Department of Education website]
*[http://www.ed.gov Official Department of Education website]
*[http://www.ed.gov/blog/ Department of Education blog]
*[https://www.facebook.com/ed.gov Official Facebook page]
*[https://www.facebook.com/ed.gov Official Facebook page]
*[https://twitter.com/usedgov Official Twitter page]
*[https://twitter.com/usedgov Official Twitter page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/user/usedgov Official Youtube channel]
*[http://www.youtube.com/user/usedgov Official Youtube channel]
{{Google|search=U.S. Department of Education}}


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
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[[Category:Executive departments of the United States]]
[[Category:Executive departments of the United States]]
[[Category:Agencies of the administrative state]]
[[Category: DOE page views]]
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Latest revision as of 19:11, 19 June 2025

Department of Education
US-DeptOfEducation-Seal.svg
Secretary:Linda McMahon
Year created:1980
Official website:Ed.gov



Executive-Branch-Logo.png

Executive Departments of the United States

Executive Departments
Department of StateDepartment of the TreasuryDepartment of DefenseDepartment of JusticeDepartment of the InteriorDepartment of AgricultureDepartment of CommerceDepartment of LaborDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDepartment of TransportationDepartment of EnergyDepartment of EducationDepartment of Veterans AffairsDepartment of Homeland Security

Department Secretaries
Marco RubioScott BessentPete HegsethPam BondiDoug BurgumBrooke RollinsLori Chavez-DeRemerRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Scott TurnerHoward LutnickSean DuffyChris WrightLinda McMahonDoug CollinsKristi Noem
See also: United States education agencies

The U.S. Department of Education is a United States executive department established in 1980. The department was formed to promote educational excellence and ensure equal opportunity for public schooling.[1] Of the 15 Cabinet agencies, the U.S. Department of Education has the smallest staff and the third largest discretionary budget.[2]

Linda McMahon is the U.S. secretary of education. Click here to learn more about her confirmation process.

History

Education in the U.S. is primarily the responsibility of states and local districts. The United States Constitution does not mention any role for the federal government in education, and, according to the Tenth Amendment, anything not mentioned in the Constitution is left to the states to decide. A federal department of education was originally created in 1867 to help the states set up school systems by gathering information about teaching, schools, and teachers. The current U.S. Department of Education was established by Congress in 1980. It united several existing offices across different agencies into a Cabinet level agency located in the executive branch. Over the years, the location of the department in the government and its name has changed several times, and its scope, number of personnel and budget has significantly increased.[1][3]

The department's mission of fostering educational excellence and equal access arose out of the cultural and political events in the post-World War II era. The National Defense Education Act (NDEA), the first comprehensive federal education law, was passed by Congress in 1958 in response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik during the Cold War. The department added its "public access" mission in response to anti-poverty and civil rights legislation of the 1960s and 1970s.[1][4]

Although the federal government provides only about 12 percent of the overall education spending of $1.15 trillion, the role of the federal government in setting education policy has grown considerably over the last several decades. The department implements laws passed by Congress and administers grants to states for certain programs, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top and Title One School Improvement Grants.[1][5][6]

Timeline

The following is a list of important dates in the history of the federal government's role in education:[7][8]

  • 1862: The First Morrill Act provided the first federal aid for higher education by donating land for setting up colleges.[9]
  • 1890: The Second Morrill Act established a support system for land-grant colleges and universities.
  • 1896: The U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson legalized segregation in "separate but equal" schools.
  • 1917: The Smith-Hughes Act extended federal aid to vocational education programs.
  • 1944: The GI Bill authorized assistance to veterans for postsecondary schools.
  • 1946: The Georgia-Barden Act established agricultural, industrial and home economics classes.
  • 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court case ''Brown v. Board of Education'' outlawed segregation precedent set in Plessy v. Ferguson.
  • 1958: The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) supported loans for college students; improved science, technology and foreign language support in elementary and secondary schools; and provided fellowships in response to the Cold War.
  • 1964: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination based on race, color or national origin in public schools.
  • 1965: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act gave federal aid to schools in poor rural and urban areas.
  • 1965: The Higher Education Act authorized federal aid for poor postsecondary students.
  • 1970: Standardized tests were given to public schools and the results were reported to the government and public in an effort to hold educators accountable.
  • 1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibited discrimination based on sex in public schools.
  • 1973: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibited discrimination based on disability in public schools.
  • 1980: Congress passed the "Department of Education Organization Act," (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979).
  • 2001: The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) increased education funding and established standards-based testing reforms.
  • 2010: The Race to the Top program encouraged states to compete for federal grants in education.

Mission

The U.S. Department of Education's official department mission statement is as follows:

ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979). Under this law, ED's mission is to:

  • Strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;
  • Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;
  • Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs;
  • Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;
  • Improve the coordination of Federal education programs;
  • Improve the management of Federal education activities; and
  • Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.[10]
—Department of Education[11]

Leadership

Administrative State
Administrative State Icon Gold.png

Read more about the administrative state on Ballotpedia.
Recent Secretaries of Education
Secretary of Education Years in office Nominated by
Lamar Alexander 1991-1993 George H.W. Bush
Richard Riley 1993-2001 Bill Clinton
Roderick Paige 2001-2005 George W. Bush
Margaret Spellings 2005-2009 George W. Bush
Arne Duncan 2009-2015 Barack Obama
John King Jr. 2016-2017 Barack Obama
Betsy DeVos 2017-2021 Donald Trump
Miguel Cardona 2021-2025 Joe Biden
Denise Carter (acting) 2025-2025 Donald Trump
Linda McMahon 2025-present Donald Trump


Organization

Click here to view the Department of Education's organizational chart.

Education in the 50 states

Noteworthy events

Federal judge blocks President Trump's order to dismantle DOE (2025)

On May 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun blocked Trump's March 20 executive order to shut down the Department of Education (DOE) and ordered the administration to reinstate fired workers. In a lawsuit, several education groups claimed that the Trump Administration hindered the department's ability to fulfill its mandated responsibilities, which include providing financial aid, supporting special education, and protecting civil rights. The executive order, titled "Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities," was written to shift education authority to the states and close the DOE beyond its "core necessities" of distributing Title I funding for low-income schools, money for special education, and Pell grants. On March 11, 2025, the Trump Administration laid off 1,300 workers, leaving the department with half its former workforce and most significantly impacting Federal Student Aid, the Office for Civil Rights, and the Institute of Education Sciences. Joun wrote that the layoffs "will likely cripple the Department," and noted that "the Department cannot be shut down without Congress’s approval." The Trump administration filed an appeal days later.[12][13]

Trump administration rescinds Obama-era guidance document (2018)

See also: Guidance (administrative state) and Rulemaking

The Trump administration rescinded guidance documents in July 2018 that had been issued by the DOE under the Obama administration. The guidance documents encouraged institutions of higher education to consider race as a factor in the admissions process as a means to achieving student diversity. The documents provided legal recommendations and contextual examples for schools considering race as a component of the admissions process.[14][15]

The decision to rescind the DOE's guidance documents occurred in light of an investigation launched by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in the summer of 2017 regarding allegations that Harvard University discriminated against Asian-American applicants by holding them to a higher standard than other applicants.[15][16]

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the policy change on July 3, 2018. In his announcement, Sessions stated that the DOE is required to adopt new regulations through the rulemaking process, which provides members of the public with the opportunity to offer feedback on proposed rules during public comment periods. He discouraged the agency from implementing regulations through guidance documents, which are issued by agencies in order to explain, interpret, or advise interested parties about rules, laws, and procedures:[14]

The American people deserve to have their voices heard and a government that is accountable to them. When issuing regulations, federal agencies must abide by constitutional principles and follow the rules set forth by Congress and the President. In previous administrations, however, agencies often tried to impose new rules on the American people without any public notice or comment period, simply by sending a letter or posting a guidance document on a website. That's wrong, and it's not good government.[14][10]

Sessions previously instructed the DOJ to refrain from issuing regulations through guidance documents in a November 2017 agency memo. For more information about Sessions' DOJ memo on guidance, click here.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 U.S. Department of Education, "About Ed: Overview and Mission Statement," accessed October 2, 2013
  2. U.S. Department of Education, "The Federal Role in Education," accessed November 10, 2015
  3. U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed January 20, 2014
  4. U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed January 20, 2014
  5. U.S. Department of Education website, "The Federal Role in Government," accessed January 20, 2014
  6. U.S. Department of Education, "Policy Overview," accessed January 20, 2014
  7. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hist
  8. Today, "Timeline: Moments that changed public education," accessed October 3, 2013
  9. ourdocuments.gov, "Morrill Act (1862)," accessed April 18, 2014
  10. 10.0 10.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  11. U.S. Department of Education, "Mission," accessed November 10, 2015
  12. The White House, "Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities," March 20, 2025
  13. PBS, "Judge blocks Trump’s executive order to dismantle Education Department," May 22, 2025
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 CNN, "Trump administration reverses Obama-era guidance on use of race in college admissions," July 3, 2018
  15. 15.0 15.1 The Wall Street Journal, "Trump Administration to Rescind Obama Guidelines on Race in College Admissions," July 3, 2018
  16. The Wall Street Journal, "Court Filings Detail Role of Race in Harvard Undergraduate Admissions," June 15, 2018