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Department of Education

Explainer

The U.S. Department of Education, Explained
There's a lot of talk鈥攁gain鈥攁bout eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. Here's what it does and how it works.
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Law & Courts Court Battles and Presidential Election Have Big Implications for Title IX Regulation
A federal appeals court heard arguments about whether some provisions of the Title IX regulation should be allowed to go into wider effect.
Mark Walsh, October 30, 2024
4 min read
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens at left as President Donald Trump speaks during a round table discussion at Saint Andrew Catholic School on March 3, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens at left as President Donald Trump speaks during a round table discussion at Saint Andrew Catholic School on March 3, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The education policies Trump pursued in his first term offer clues for what a second Trump term would look like for K-12 schools.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Trump's K-12 Record in His First Term Offers a Blueprint for What Could Be Next
In his first term, Trump sought to significantly expand school choice, slash K-12 spending, and tear down the U.S. Department of Education.
Alyson Klein, October 28, 2024
11 min read
President Donald Trump, right, arrives in a classroom at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., on March 3, 2017.
President Donald Trump, right, arrives in a classroom at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., on March 3, 2017.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP
Federal Who Could Be Donald Trump's Next Education Secretary?
Trump must decide if he wants someone with a "proven track record" or a "culture warrior," says a former GOP Hill staffer.
Alyson Klein, October 15, 2024
9 min read
Vice President Kamala Harris visits with students at Thomas Elementary School in Washington, Monday, April 4, 2022. During her visit, Harris announced plans to upgrade public schools with clean energy efficient facilities and transportation.
Vice President Kamala Harris visits with students at Thomas Elementary School in Washington on Monday, April 4, 2022. Education advocates and experts aligned with Democrats are hoping the vice president would appoint someone with management expertise, like a governor, to lead the Education Department.
Susan Walsh/AP
Federal Who Could Be Kamala Harris' Education Secretary?
Democrats are looking for a secretary with strong management experience, perhaps a former governor.
Alyson Klein, October 14, 2024
9 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
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Federal Opinion Project 2025's Education Lead on the Controversial Policy Agenda
Here鈥檚 what the lead author of the education section in the Heritage Foundation鈥檚 proposal has to say.
Rick Hess, October 1, 2024
9 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington. New reports from the Government Accountability Office detail what led up to the botched rollout of a new FAFSA form and the resulting fallout.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
College & Workforce Readiness As 69传媒 Sought FAFSA Help, 4 Million Calls Went Unanswered
A new probe from Congress' investigative arm details what led to the failed rollout of a new federal financial aid form.
Libby Stanford, September 24, 2024
6 min read
Broken piggy bank with adhesive bandage on the table
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Education Funding Explainer How One Grant Can Help 69传媒 Recover From Shootings
69传媒 can leverage a little-known emergency grant to recover from violence or a natural disaster. Here鈥檚 how.
Olina Banerji, September 19, 2024
9 min read
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Moms for Liberty annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump addressed the group's annual convention in Washington on Aug. 30. One popular session was about Moms for Liberty's lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's Title IX regulation.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Law & Courts How Moms for Liberty's Legal Strategy Has Upended Title IX Rules for 69传媒
The grassroots group's tactic is confounding schools across the country trying to keep up with which Title IX rules apply to them.
Mark Walsh, September 5, 2024
7 min read
President Ronald Reagan is flanked by Education Secretary Terrel Bell, left, during a meeting Feb. 23, 1984 meeting  in the Cabinet Room at the White House.
President Ronald Reagan is flanked by Education Secretary Terrel Bell, left, during a meeting Feb. 23, 1984 meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House. Bell, who once testified in favor of creating the U.S. Department of Education, wrote the first plan to dismantle the agency.
Education Week with AP
Federal Then & Now Why It's So Hard to Kill the Education Department鈥攁nd Why Some Keep Trying
Project 2025 popularized plans to end the U.S. Department of Education, but the idea has been around since the agency's inception.
Evie Blad, August 30, 2024
9 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview, Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. The U.S. Education Department says it discovered a calculation error in hundreds of thousands of student financial aid applications sent to colleges this month and will need to reprocess them, a blunder that follows a series of others and threatens further delays to this year's college applications. Senate Republicans are requesting a hearing with Cardona to discuss their 鈥渟erious concerns鈥 about the FAFSA rollout.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks on Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. The U.S. Department of Education has announced a phased rollout of the FAFSA form this year.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Federal FAFSA Was a Debacle Last Year. Here鈥檚 What the Ed. Dept. Is Changing
The Education Department plans a phased rollout of the FAFSA this year after the revamped form's introduction was beset by major glitches.
Libby Stanford, August 7, 2024
3 min read
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Washington.
The Biden administration's new Title IX regulation was set to take effect Aug. 1, but only in parts of the country as court injunctions block it in 26 states and the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a request to step into the debate.
AP
Law & Courts Biden's Title IX Rule Takes Effect Amid a Confusing Legal Landscape
The rule that expands protections for LGBTQ+ students is effective Aug. 1, but injunctions currently block it in 26 states.
Mark Walsh, July 31, 2024
7 min read
The Supreme Court is seen, April 21, 2023, in Washington.
The Supreme Court is seen, April 21, 2023, in Washington. A recent decision from the high court overruled a longtime precedent that called on courts to defer to federal agencies' reasonable interpretations of federal laws. The decision could lead to more challenges to U.S. Department of Education regulations, legal experts say.
Alex Brandon/AP
Law & Courts Not Just Title IX: How the Chevron Decision Could Affect Education Regulations
The Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision could have an impact on Education Department rules interpreting multiple federal laws.
Mark Walsh, July 25, 2024
7 min read
Kansas high school students, family members and advocates rally for transgender rights, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan.
Kansas high school students, family members and advocates rally for transgender rights, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Two federal appeals courts have denied requests by the Biden administration to put aside injunctions blocking a new Title IX regulation that includes protections for transgender students.
John Hanna/AP
Law & Courts Two Appeals Courts Won鈥檛 Block Injunctions Against Biden's Title IX Rule
As the Aug. 1 date approaches for the broad new regulation to take effect, courts have blocked it in much of the country.
Mark Walsh, July 19, 2024
4 min read
Illustration of data bar charts and line graphs superimposed over a school crossing sign.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty images
Federal Is the Federal Agency That Tracks School Data Losing Steam?
A new study of U.S. data agencies finds serious capacity problems at the National Center for Education Statistics.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 17, 2024
3 min read