Education Secretary (United States)
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| Education Secretary (United States) | |
|---|---|
| Post | United States Secretary of Education |
| Department | United States Department of Education |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Status | Cabinet-level officer |
| Seat | Washington, D.C. |
| Appointing | President of the United States |
| Formation | October 17, 1979 |
| First | Cecil M. Staton |
Education Secretary (United States) is the head of the United States Department of Education and a member of the United States Cabinet. The position serves as the chief federal liaison to state education agencies, local school districts, and national stakeholders including National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, College Board, and Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The office shapes policy affecting Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Higher Education Act of 1965, and programs tied to No Child Left Behind Act, Every Student Succeeds Act, and federal student aid administered via Federal Student Aid (FSA).
Role and responsibilities
The Secretary oversees administration of federal statutes including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and statutes that fund Head Start and Pell Grant programs, while coordinating with agencies such as the Office for Civil Rights, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Congressional Budget Office. The Secretary advises the President of the United States and participates in Cabinet deliberations alongside heads of United States Department of Labor, United States Department of Education and Science (historical), and leaders from Department of Defense Education Activity and national nonprofit partners like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation.
History of the office
The office was created by the establishment of the United States Department of Education in 1979 during the administration of Jimmy Carter and emerged from functions previously held by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Office of Education. Early officeholders interacted with policymakers involved in the passage of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Higher Education Act reauthorizations under presidents including Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Notable policy eras include implementation of No Child Left Behind Act under George W. Bush and the reauthorization as the Every Student Succeeds Act under Barack Obama, with subsequent shifts during the administrations of Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Appointment and succession
The Secretary is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate under advice and consent, often following hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions or the United States Senate Committee on Finance when jurisdiction overlaps. Succession protocols align with the Presidential Succession Act and executive orders that reference acting appointment rules such as the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998; historically confirmations have involved debates with senators from states like California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Ohio.
Organizational structure and deputy offices
Under the Secretary, the United States Department of Education comprises offices including the Office of Federal Student Aid, the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and the Institute of Education Sciences, each led by assistant secretaries or directors often appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. The Secretary works with deputy secretaries, general counsels, and senior advisors who liaise with entities such as the National Assessment Governing Board, Teachers' Unions including National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and interagency partners like the Department of Justice and Department of Labor.
Policies and initiatives
Secretaries have advanced initiatives addressing standardized assessment policy tied to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, policies on federal student loans administered by Federal Student Aid (FSA), and civil rights enforcement via the Office for Civil Rights. Major initiatives have included school accountability regimes under No Child Left Behind Act, accountability flexibility waivers negotiated with state governors from states including California and Florida, college access expansion through the Pell Grant and TRIO programs, and regulatory actions affecting accreditation bodies such as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and loan servicers like Navient.
Budget and administration of federal education programs
The Secretary oversees administration of a budget appropriated by the United States Congress and guided by the Office of Management and Budget, allocating funds to programs like Title I, Special Education Grants (IDEA), Pell Grants, and competitive grants managed through the Institute of Education Sciences and the Education Innovation and Research program. Funding decisions often involve negotiations with the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate appropriations committees and interactions with state education agencies, local educational agencies, tribal leaders such as those from Navajo Nation and Bureau of Indian Education, and higher education institutions including the University of California, Ivy League, and community college systems.
Notable holders and controversies
Notable Secretaries have included Teresa Heinz Kerry (disputed placeholder), Arne Duncan, Betsy DeVos, John B. King Jr., and Miguel Cardona, each associated with debates over policy, confirmation, and administration; controversies have involved enforcement of civil rights under the Office for Civil Rights, student loan servicing controversies implicating firms like Navient and Sallie Mae, debates over charter schools involving organizations such as KIPP Foundation and Teach For America, and conflicts over Title IX guidance affecting institutions like Penn State University and University of Virginia. High-profile legal and political disputes have referenced the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and congressional oversight hearings chaired by members such as Elizabeth Warren and Lindsey Graham.