When Congress was writing the Department of Education Organization Act in 1979, lawmakers wanted to allay fears that the new Cabinet-level agency would bring Washington’s political meddling into local classrooms. So language was written into the law, below, that strictly forbids the department from wielding any control over curriculum. The General Education Provisions Act, a law dating back to 1965, restricts “any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States from exercising control over curriculum.” Public Law 96-88—Oct. 17, 1979Sec. 103 |