Education Department

Secretary of Education

Why It Matters

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has had a place in the federal government in some shape or form for more than a century, and its responsibilities encompass much more than giving out student loans.

If you are one of millions of Americans who borrowed federal loans to get through college or graduate school, chances are you're familiar with the ED because it sends a bill in the mail each month. But the majority of the department's focus lies in shaping education policy, best practices, standards and achievement goals for elementary and secondary schools around the country.

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Background

At a Glance

# of Employees: 4,200
2010 Budget: $63.7 billion, plus $96.8 billion from the 2009 Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Address: U.S. Department of Education400 Maryland Avenue, SWWashington, D.C. 20202
Web site

History

The Department of Education's place in government began in 1876. Back then, the department 's sole task was to collect data and research to guide states in developing their own school systems. It wasn't until 1890 that Congress gave the then-Office of Education the added duty of managing the nation's first system of land-grant institutions, which are colleges and universities designated by each state to receive funding from the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.

Congress passed other acts that influenced education funding, including the 1917 Smith-Hughes Act focusing on vocational education and the 1946 George Barden Act for industrial, agriculture and home economics teaching in high schools. The G.I. Bill of 1944 also expanded the office's role in federal financial assistance for Americans - in this case, veterans - attending U.S. post-secondary schools.

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The Education Department even played a role in preparing America's defense during the Cold War. When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, lawmakers responded in 1958 by passing the National Defense Education Act. President Eisenhower wanted to ensure that U.S. citizens trained in science and technical fields to compete with the Soviet Union. The move supported financial assistance to more college students, an emphasis on science, math and foreign language curricula in early stages of education, and graduate fellowships, among other things.

It wasn't until 1979 and the passage of the Department of Education Organization Act that the department became a cabinet-level agency. The department officially formed in 1980 by combining several education-related offices in federal government.

Some of the ED's responsibilities attract news headlines on a regular basis, such as the department's role in federal financial aid and the policies surrounding it. Then there are the benchmark programs that many schools throughout the country participate in to improve education in each state, such as No Child Left Behind or the early education Head Start program. Education also issues hundreds of policy papers and research findings to schools and lawmakers.

President Obama passed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act on March 30, 2010, which dramatically changed the way college students receive and pay down their federal loans. Starting June 1, 2010, the federal government will no longer subsidize private banks for giving college loans.The act also lowers monthly payments and forgives unpaid debt after 20 years instead of 25

President Obama financially bolstered the department on a broader scale by allocating $96.8 billion in education initiatives through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the economic stimulus. Even still, some lawmakers proposed in April 2010 $23 billion more for emergency school aid to reverse possible job losses and local education cutbacks because of budget shortfalls.

The move came on the same day as Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan's comments to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee urged Congress to consider the consequences of state cuts to local school systems.

"We are gravely concerned that the kind of state and local budget threats our schools face today will put our hard-earned reforms at risk," Duncan said. "Every day brings media reports of layoffs, program cuts, class time reductions and class size increases."

Offices

Office of the Secretary
- Institute of Education Sciences
- Office of Chief Information Officer
- Office of Civil Rights
- Office of Communications and Outreach
- Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs
- Office of Management
- Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Management
- Office of the Deputy Secretary
  - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
  - Office of English Language Acquisition
  - Office of Innovation and Improvement
  - Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools
  - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
- Office of the General Counsel
- Office of the Inspector General
- Office of the Under Secretary
  - Federal Student Aid
  - Office of Postsecondary Education
  - Office of Vocational and Adult Education
  - White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities