Department of Education

Extracted Attributes

• Size

  Smallest Cabinet agency

• Type

  Executive branch agency

• Country

  United States

• Mission

  Promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages.

• Purpose (1)

  To strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.

• Purpose (2)

  To support more effectively States, localities and public and private institutions in carrying out their responsibilities for education.

• Budget (1979)

  $14 billion

• Budget (2024)

  $268 billion

• Budget (2025)

  Approximately 4% of total US federal spending

• Administered by

  United States Secretary of Education

• Employees (2021)

  Over 4,000 employees

• Employees (May 2024)

  4,233 employees

• Informal Abbreviation

  DoEd

• Official Abbreviation

  ED

Timeline

• President Andrew Johnson signed legislation to create an earlier iteration of a Department of Education. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1867

• The earlier Department of Education was demoted to the Office of Education. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1868

• The Department of Education Organization Act was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter, establishing the current department. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1979-10-17

• The United States Department of Education began operating as a cabinet-level department. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1980-05-04

• The department had more than 4,000 employees. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2021

• The department's budget was $268 billion. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2024

• The department had 4,233 employees. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2024-05

• The Department of Government Efficiency announced plans to shrink the Department of Education's workforce by half. President Trump also signed an executive order aimed at closing the department to the maximum extent allowed by law. (Source: Wikipedia)

  During Donald Trump's presidency

• A US district court in Boston held off the presidential action to close the department. (Source: Wikipedia)

  During Donald Trump's presidency

• A federal appeals court declined to lift the injunction against closing the department. (Source: Wikipedia)

  During Donald Trump's presidency

• The Supreme Court overturned lower courts, allowing layoffs to proceed in the Department of Education. (Source: Wikipedia)

  During Donald Trump's presidency

• Donald Trump proposed a plan to virtually eliminate the federal Department of Education as part of a broader government restructuring. (Source: Related Documents)

  During Donald Trump's second term (proposed)

United States Department of Education

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 by the Department of Education Organization Act, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law on October 17, 1979. An earlier iteration was formed in 1867 but was quickly demoted to the Office of Education a year later. Since its official renaming, the department's official abbreviation is ED ("DOE" refers to the United States Department of Energy) but is also abbreviated informally as "DoEd". 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 – 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. During Donald Trump's second term, the Department of Government Efficiency announced it would shrink the Department of Education's workforce by half, and Trump signed an executive order on March 20 aimed at closing the department to the maximum extent allowed by law. There are limits to how much can be done by executive action as significant parts of it are statutorily defined by Congress and signed into law by previous presidents. The presidential action was held off by a US district court in Boston on May 22, which the Trump administration appealed, and a federal appeals court declined to lift the injunction in early June. On July 14, the Supreme Court overturned the lower courts allowing the layoffs to proceed.

Web Search Results

• What does the Department of Education (ED) do? - USAFacts

  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 [...] How the federal government supports education: The Department of Education (ED) is just one federal entity supporting students. Other agencies, including the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and even the VA, support students, primarily with funding or specialized programs. What IES is and what it does: The Institute of Education Sciences funds education research and disseminates findings and statistics about education in the US. [...] The Department of Education is led by the secretary of Education, who is nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and then sworn into office. The secretary of education is a cabinet-level position, making them one of the 15 members who serve at the discretion of the president. The position typically ends when the appointee resigns, is replaced, or when a new president takes office and appoints their own cabinet. Some secretaries may serve temporarily during administrative

• United States Department of Education - Wikipedia

  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 by the Department of Education Organization Act, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law on October 17, 1979.( An earlier iteration was formed in 1867 but [...] The Department of Education is a member of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness( and works with federal partners to ensure proper education for homeless and runaway youth in the United States. History [edit] This article is part of a series on Education in the United States Summary By state and in insular areas By subject area History California Chicago Kentucky Massachusetts Dedham [...] In 1867, President Andrew Johnson signed legislation to create a Department of Education. It was seen as a way to collect information and statistics about the nation's schools and provide advice to schools in the same way the Department of Agriculture helped farmers.( The department was originally proposed by Henry Barnard and leaders of the National Teachers Association, renamed the National Education Association. Barnard served as the first United States Commissioner of Education. He resigned

• What does the US Department of Education do? - Brookings Institution

  The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is tasked with serving America’s students by administering and coordinating several of the largest and most consequential federal education programs, along with serving its other legislatively defined purposes. With 4,233 employees as of May 2024, ED’s workforce is the smallest of the 15 Cabinet-level executive departments. [...] Today’s U.S. Department of Education was created via the Department of Education Organization Act (of 1979), which established ED’s core structure and responsibilities. Chief among these responsibilities is administering an assortment of federal education laws and programs—many of which predate ED itself. Notable federal education legislation dates back to the Civil War and Reconstruction era with the establishment of land-grant colleges and historically Black colleges. (In fact, the first [...] Congress authorizes funding for a broad range of education initiatives, including grants to school districts, financial aid for students, and research investments, ensuring federal support reaches key areas of the education system. The U.S. Department of Education plays a critical role in distributing these congressionally approved funds to students and schools while overseeing their use to maintain accountability and compliance with federal regulations.

• Understanding the Role and Responsibilities of the Department of ...

  States are primarily responsible for education, but the Department of Education is the federal agency that plays a vital role in establishing policies, ensuring accountability and promoting equal access to education. Understanding the responsibilities of the Education Department is an important step in addressing current threats to education rights and equal opportunities. So what are the responsibilities of the Department of Education that affect our lives, communities and nation? [...] Education Department Purpose: In 1980, under President Jimmy Carter, Congress established the current Department of Education as a Cabinet-level agency with the purpose: “(1) to strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual; (2) to support more effectively States, localities and public and private institutions in carrying out their responsibilities for education; [...] The Department of Education has a long history within the federal government dating to the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, when President Andrew Johnson signed legislation in 1867 to create a Department of Education. For over 100 years, education as a national priority and the department shifted in various incarnations within other federal agencies. But to have a coherent education agenda, especially as the nation became a global power, the commitment to a specific federal agency for

• About Us | U.S. Department of Education

  The mission of the Department of Education (ED) is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages. Learn more about our mission, offices within ED, key initiatives, and more. Overview of the Department of Education An overview of the Department of Education’s history, mission, and role in serving America's students. Learn about ED Contact Us & FAQs

• Country

  Philippines

• Instance Of

  Q2269756

• Headquarters

  Pasig

• Inception Date

  8/11/2001