What is the US Secretary of Education?
The US Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education, the American government agency which oversees matters related to education in the United States, from kindergarten to colleges and universities. Because education in the United States is not highly centralized, as it is in many other nations, the scope of the US Secretary of Education's duties and powers is fairly limited, and the Department itself is actually rather controversial. Some conservatives believe that the Department of Education represents unreasonable interference on the part of the Federal government, and they would like to see the Department dismantled.
ED, as it is known colloquially, was established in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter split the then-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare into two separate agencies, creating two Cabinet level positions: the US Secretary of Education, and the US Secretary of Health and Human Services. ED is the smallest Cabinet level agency, with far fewer employees and programs than other agencies at the same rank in government.
Each new President is responsible for appointing a new US Secretary of Education, with the President typically choosing someone who will support the President's goals for American education. The selection is subject to a Senate confirmation hearing, allowing members of the Senate and the people of the United States by extension a chance to reject candidates who might be perceived as unfit. As a Cabinet level Secretary, the US Secretary of Education is in line for the succession to the United States Presidency, although since the Secretary of Education is ranked 16, it is unlikely that an Education Secretary will ever be forced to step into the office of the President.
As a member of the Presidential Cabinet, the US Secretary of Education is responsible for discussing policy matters relating to education with the President, and for proposing policies which will shape American education. The US Secretary of Education also keeps the President informed about issues in the American education system, ranging from dropout rates to the changing demographics of American colleges.
One of the most important roles of the Department of Education is in the keeping of statistics pertaining to education, so that this data can be used to assess the state of education in America and to identify areas which need improvement. ED also hosts the Department of Federal Student Aid, which provides financial assistance to college students, along with departments which deal with things like special education, English language learners, migrant education, and civil rights in the education field.
Written by S.E. Smith
