An Overview Of The Department Of Education U S Department Of Education

Find information about ED's mission, organization, and strategic plans. Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States but ED provides funds that help schools and districts reach their goals. Find information and links related to ED's performance. Read our mission statement and learn more about how we work to foster global competitiveness through education. The official blog of the U.S. Department of Education.

Read our latest posts featuring education stakeholders and leaders from across the nation. The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services... The Department of Education is administered by the United States secretary of education. In 2021 it had more than 4,000 employees – the smallest staff of the Cabinet agencies[7] – and a 2024 budget of $268 billion, up from $14 billion when it was established in 1979. In 2025, the department's budget was about four percent of the total US federal spending.[8]

During Donald Trump's second term, the Department of Government Efficiency announced it would shrink the Department of Education's workforce by half,[9][10] and Trump signed an executive order on March 20 aimed at closing the... The department identifies four key functions:[18] The Department of Education is a member of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness[19] and works with federal partners to ensure proper education for homeless and runaway youth in the United States. The Department of Education (Education Department, ED) is a cabinet-level executive branch agency responsible for overseeing education policy and administering funding for programs and individuals. The department's functions include supporting state and local education systems, promoting educational equity for all students, and providing grants and loans to higher education institutions and students. It was established in 1980 after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was reorganized into separate entities.

Share of ED net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2024 Subscribe to stay informed about DOGE and federal spending Yearly federal net spending by ED, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024 Percentage of federal budget dedicated to ED, FYs 1980–2024 Understanding the U.S. Department of Education: Structure, Impact, and Evolution

The U.S. Department of Education stands as a cornerstone of American education, yet many citizens remain unclear about its actual role and impact. This exploration breaks down the department's structure, functions, and significance in shaping educational opportunities for millions of Americans, offering clarity on how this federal agency works alongside state and local authorities to support education... What is the U.S. Department of Education? The Department of Education (ED) is a cabinet-level federal agency established in 1979 that oversees education policy and federal assistance to education in the United States.

With approximately 4,400 employees and an annual budget of $79 billion, it is the smallest cabinet-level department. Why Does the Department of Education Exist? Katharine Meyer, Rachel M. Perera, Sarah Reber, Jon Valant Lauren Bauer, Sofoklis Goulas, Michael Hansen, Katharine Meyer, Emily Markovich Morris, Rachel M. Perera, Sarah Reber, Sweta Shah, Jon Valant

Raquel Muñiz , Andrés Castro Samayoa, Shane Dunn Sweta Shah, Hamidah Ashrafi Fateha, Nazia Nusrat, Md. Ibrahim Badhan, Emerald Upoma Baidya Updated: Click here for the latest news about the Trump administration’s actions to downsize the Department of Education. Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election has given new life to longstanding Republican calls to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.

On the campaign trail and in his platform, Trump called for the federal agency’s elimination, arguing that it’s an “abuse of your taxpayer dollars” that allows schools to “indoctrinate America’s youth.” The Republican Party’s official platform called for shuttering the 45-year-old agency. And Project 2025, the conservative policy document spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and written by a number of former Trump aides and allies to the former president, also proposed scrapping the department and making... Over and over, President Donald Trump and his colleagues have pointed to the U.S. Education Department as a poster child for government overreach. In fact, Republicans have been calling for the department's dissolution ever since its birth.

That effort reached a new level this week, as the president began exploring dramatic cuts to programs and staff at the department, including an executive action shuttering programs that are not protected by law... Which raises the question: What, exactly, does the Education Department do? Created by Congress in 1979, the department employs more than 4,000 people and has an annual budget of $79 billion. Many of its responsibilities were given to it by lawmakers. (The U.S. Constitution doesn't actually mention a federal role in education.)

Here's a look at what the Education Department does and doesn't do – and how much of it is protected by acts of Congress: overviewchristopher t. crossm. rené islas international rolelenore yaffee garciarafael michael nevarez A persistent debate that the United States has struggled with since its early history is the role of the federal government in the education of its citizenry.

Much of this debate has played out in battles over the existence of a national government entity focused on education, such as the U.S. Department of Education. The divisive issue of the federal role in education stems from an ambiguous charge from the nation's founding fathers. On one hand, they generally professed a limited national government organized to secure the national interest, leaving the responsibility of most public operations to state and local government bodies. On the other hand, the founding fathers were very direct in their belief in the unalienable relationship between a well-educated citizenry and a healthy democracy. For the most part, advocates of a very limited federal government were victorious in maintaining the responsibility of education at the local and state level.

The strength behind their argument was that the U.S. Constitution made no mention of a federal role in education. However, opponents cite the constitutional clause that grants the power to provide for the nation's "general welfare" to Congress, as reasoning for a substantial federal role. The result was that for the "first three-quarters of a century of the country's existence, there was no agency in the federal government specifically concerned with education" (National Library of Education website). On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” that attempts to dismantle the Department of Education. It directs newly-instated Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “return authority over education to the States and local communities.”

Trump said that the department will still keep some “core necessities," and that Congress will vote on whether or not to abolish, since only Congress can officially dismantle a government agency. “The Democrats know it’s right. I hope they’re going to be voting for it,” Trump said at Thursday’s press briefing about signing the Executive Order. “Because ultimately, it may come before them.” The historic gutting of the department is part of the charge that has defined the first few weeks of Trump’s second term. Led by his Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE], under the watchful eye of Elon Musk, the President has made great strides to make the government smaller by implementing major cuts and funding freezes across...

On March 11, news came that 50% of the Department of Education was set to be laid off—part of its “final mission,” according to the department’s website, which stated that “impacted department staff will... On the Tuesday, December 2, 2025 episode of The Excerpt podcast: Trump’s latest Education Department moves target some of the agency's most important programs. From Title I to special education to student aid, we break down what’s moving, what’s staying and what the changes mean for millions of students. Zach Schermele joins USA TODAY's The Excerpt to unpack it all. Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form.

There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here President Donald Trump's quest to dismantle the Department of Education went into high gear late last month, with six interagency agreements that redistributed longstanding functional areas of the department. Well, Congress finally caved in and let Trump abolish the ED. Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor.

Today is Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025. Here to help me dig into all of the changes at the Education Department, now joined by USA Today Congress reporter, Zach Schermele. Thanks so much for coming back, Zach. While only Congress can completely act as a federal agency, the Supreme Court has allowed the White House to move forward for now with mass education department layoffs. Walk me through the latest changes.

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