Department of Education

Read more about the actions and functions of the U.S. Department of Education

Explainer

The U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., pictured on February 21, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Education, Explained
There's a lot of talk—again—about eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. Here's what it does and how it works.
View Explainer
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured in a double exposure on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured in a double exposure on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal Video Here’s What the Ed. Dept. Upheaval Will Mean for Schools
The Trump administration took significant steps this week toward eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.
Mark Lieberman & Yi-Jo Shen, November 21, 2025
•
1 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is seen behind the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial on Oct. 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building is seen behind the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial on Oct. 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The department is shifting many of its functions to four other federal agencies as the Trump administration tries to downsize it. State education chiefs stand to be most directly affected.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal What State Education Chiefs Think as Trump Moves Programs Out of the Ed. Dept.
The department's announcement this week represents a consequential structural change for states.
Brooke Schultz, November 20, 2025
•
6 min read
Human hands surrounded boy reading book with kindness.
iStock/Getty
Special Education Fragmented Federal Education Plan Could Harm Students With Disabilities, Advocates Warn
Parceling out Ed. Dept. work to other agencies risks weakening enforcement of disability rights laws, groups warn.
Evie Blad, November 19, 2025
•
5 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding education in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon watch.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding education in the Oval Office of the White House on April 23, 2025, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon watch. The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that it's sending many of the Department of Education's K-12 and higher education programs to other federal agencies.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal See Where the Ed. Dept.'s Programs Will Move as the Trump Admin. Downsizes
Programs overseen by the Ed. Dept. will move to agencies including the Department of Labor.
Brooke Schultz, Mark Lieberman & Matthew Stone, November 18, 2025
•
1 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana’s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday unveiled six agreements moving administration of many of its key functions to other federal agencies.
Leah Millis for Education Week
Federal Most K-12 Programs Will Leave Education Department in Latest Downsizing
The Trump administration announced six agreements to transfer Ed. Dept. programs elsewhere.
Brooke Schultz, Mark Lieberman & Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, November 18, 2025
•
6 min read
USA Congress with loading icon. Shutdown, political crisis concept.
DigitalVision Vectors
Federal The Federal Shutdown Is Over. What Comes Next for Schools?
Some delayed funds for schools could arrive soon, but questions about future grants remain.
Mark Lieberman, November 14, 2025
•
7 min read
Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington on Nov. 10, 2025. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill reopening the federal government after a 43-day shutdown.
J. Scott Applewhite
Federal Ed. Dept. Layoffs Are Reversed, But Staff Fear Things Won't Return to Normal
The bill ending the shutdown reverses the early October layoffs of thousands of federal workers.
Brooke Schultz, November 13, 2025
•
4 min read
Screenshot of a portion of a response email blaming Democrat Senators for the government shutdown.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Federal Judge Tells Ed. Dept. to Remove Language Blaming Democrats From Staff Emails
The agency added language blaming "Democrat Senators" for the federal shutdown to staffers' out-of-office messages
Brooke Schultz, November 7, 2025
•
3 min read
A young student of color struggles to carry a large heavy backpack conceptual
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Special Education A Small Change in Special Ed. Rules Could Affect Equity, Accountability, Advocates Warn
The paperwork change could make it harder to track equity in special education, advocates said.
Evie Blad, November 5, 2025
•
5 min read
SPED Base Aide Veronica Turbinton listens to a student carefully articulate an incident in her room at Benfer Elementary on Oct. 30, 2025, in Klein, TX.
Veronica Turbinton listens to a student in her room at Benfer Elementary in Klein, Texas, on Oct. 30, 2025. Turbinton is among hundreds of students pursuing a teaching degree who are losing federal support that's covered tuition and other expenses after the Trump administration discontinued teacher-training grants under the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence grant program.
Annie Mulligan for Education Week
Teacher Preparation Ed. Dept. Cuts Grants That Were Helping College Students Become Teachers
Ten universities collectively lost more than $20 million for efforts to diversify the teacher workforce.
Mark Lieberman, November 4, 2025
•
9 min read
Peggy Carr, Commissioner of the National Center for Education, speaks during an interview about the National Assessment of Education Process (NAEP), on Oct. 21, 2022, in Washington.
Peggy Carr, the former commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, speaks during an interview about the National Assessment of Education Process, on Oct. 21, 2022, in Washington. Carr shared her thoughts about the Trump administration's massive staff cuts to the Education Department in a recent webinar.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Fired NCES Chief: Ed. Dept. Cuts Mean 'Fewer Eyes on the Condition of Schools'
Experts discuss how federal actions have impacted equity and research in the field of education.
Jennifer Vilcarino, October 22, 2025
•
3 min read
Vector illustration of two diverse professionals wearing orange workman vests and hard hats as they carry and connect a very heavy, oversized text bubble bringing the two pieces shaped like puzzles pieces together as one. One figure is a dark skinned male and the other is a lighter skinned female with long hair.
DigitalVision Vectors
Federal What Should Research at the Ed. Dept. Look Like? The Field Weighs In
The agency requested input on the Institute of Education Sciences' future. More than 400 comments came in.
Brooke Schultz, October 21, 2025
•
7 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Education Funding Opinion The Federal Shutdown Is a Rorschach Test for Education
Polarization, confusion, and perverse incentives turn a serious discussion into a stylized debate.
Rick Hess, October 20, 2025
•
7 min read
Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears before the House Appropriation Panel about the 2026 budget in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears before U.S. House of Representatives members to discuss the 2026 budget in Washington on May 21, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education laid off 465 employees during the federal government shutdown. The layoff, if it goes through, will virtually wipe out offices in the agency that oversee key grant programs.
Jason Andrew for Education Week
Federal Education Department Layoffs Would Affect Dozens of Programs. See Which Ones
Entire teams that work on key funding streams may not return to work even when the shutdown ends.
Mark Lieberman, October 16, 2025
•
3 min read
Load More ▼