Since the Department of Education was established in 1979, the cabinet-level agency operating under the executive branch has been at the center of debate over the federal government’s role in schooling.
While some see it as a vital institution ensuring education access and quality, others say it’s an unnecessary bureaucracy that should be abolished.
What the Department of Education does
The Education Department does not run schools. That's up to individual states and local school districts. The agency reporting to the U.S. president, however, oversees federal education funding, enforces civil rights laws in schools, collects data and sets policies meant to improve national education.
A key Education Department responsibility is distributing federal funds, such as Pell Grants for college students and Title I funding for schools serving low-income communities.
The agency, which began operating in 1980, also administers special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, that seeks to ensure students with disabilities are properly accommodated.
Beyond funding, the agency enforces anti-discrimination laws through its Office for Civil Rights, handling complaints related to race, gender or disability discrimination in schools. It also conducts research and compiles education data to guide policymakers.
"The Department's elementary and secondary programs annually serve nearly 18,200 school districts and over 50 million students attending roughly 98,000 public schools and 32,000 private schools," the Education Department writes on its website. "Department programs also provide grant, loan, and work-study assistance to more than 12 million postsecondary students."
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ latest survey shows the gap is growing between high-skilled and low-skilled readers in the U.S.
How the Department of Education was created
Before the Education Department was established, there was limited federal involvement in education. Examples of federal legislation before the agency include the 1944 "GI Bill" and the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
As the federal government's role in daily life expanded, so did the necessity to organize and consolidate efforts to implement and enforce federal policies. A prime example is Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance."
"The anti-poverty and civil rights laws of the 1960s and 1970s brought about a dramatic emergence of the Department's equal access mission" and such laws "made civil rights enforcement a fundamental and long-lasting focus of the Department of Education," the agency writes.
The department was created under the Department of Education Organization Act under former President Jimmy Carter and the agency has faced strong opposition from its inception. Carter's successor, former President Ronald Reagan, vowed to shut down the agency but ultimately backed down because he lacked Congressional support.
Trump's push to dismantle the Department of Education
President Donald Trump, who borrowed Reagan's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan, wants to finish what Reagan started by shutting the Education Department down.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, confirmed earlier this week, has signaled support for downsizing the agency, aligning with efforts from GOP lawmakers who say education policy should be controlled by states, the Associated Press reports.
If the agency is abolished, essential funding programs such as Pell Grants and student loans could fall under the Treasury Department, while civil rights enforcement could be handled by the Department of Justice.
Trump has promised to shut down the department and said he wants McMahon “to put herself out of a job.”
At her confirmation hearing, McMahon distanced herself from Trump’s blistering rhetoric. She said the goal is to make the Education Department “operate more efficiently," and not to defund programs.
Eliminating the Education Department would require Congressional approval. Critics of the move warn that dismantling the department could weaken federal protections for students, particularly in enforcing civil rights laws and maintaining funding for disadvantaged schools.
"The Department of Education is a critical champion in enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination and ensuring every student has access to an education that will help them reach their full potential," the National Education Association writes. "Dismantling it means defunding programs that feed, educate, and protect our most vulnerable and underserved students, and leaving many families fearful and anxious and communities reeling."
