Simone Lawson
The Cabinet of the United States is the principal official advisory body to the President of the United States. It includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including the Secretary of Education. The current leader of the Cabinet of Education is Dr. Miguel Cardona, who was the 12th US Secretary of Education.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Nicholas Kent |
| Position | Secretary of Education |
| Previous Position | Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia |
| Previous Position | Chief Policy Officer at Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) |
| Previous Position | Director of Policy, Planning, and Research at the DC office of the State Superintendent of Education |
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What You'll Learn
The Secretary of Education is a member of the Cabinet
The Department of Education oversees funding for public schools, administers student loans, and runs programs that help low-income students. It is the smallest of any cabinet-level department, with about 4,400 employees. The Trump administration has sought to cut the department's workforce and even attempted to dismantle it, but this would require an act of Congress.
The Secretary of Education plays a crucial role in shaping the nation's education policies and ensuring that the department's responsibilities are effectively executed. They work closely with other members of the Cabinet and the President to align education policies with the overall goals of the administration.
The position of Secretary of Education has been held by various individuals over the years, with the incumbent secretary as of 2017 being John King. The secretary's tenure is often aligned with the administration in power, and they play a key role in implementing the president's education agenda.
Overall, the Secretary of Education's membership in the Cabinet underscores the importance of education in the nation's agenda and ensures that education policies are considered and coordinated at the highest level of government.
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The current Secretary of Education is Nicholas Kent
As Secretary of Education, Kent is part of the US Cabinet, which is responsible for advising the President on various subjects. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, one of which is the Department of Education.
Kent's nomination as Secretary of Education has been well-received by leaders across the nation, including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who praised Kent's commitment to championing free speech and intellectual freedom in public institutions. Youngkin also highlighted Kent's leadership in higher education reform during his time as Virginia's Deputy Secretary of Education, which resulted in strengthened management and increased transparency in the state's higher education institutions.
In his role as Secretary of Education, Kent will face the challenge of potential cuts to the Department of Education. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to dismantle the department and transfer its authority to state and local governments. However, the complete elimination of the department is unlikely, as it would require an act of Congress. Kent's leadership will be crucial in navigating these changes and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits that Americans rely on.
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The Department of Education is overseen by the Secretary of Education
The current Secretary of Education is Nicholas Kent, who was nominated by President Trump. Kent joins the Department of Education after serving as Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before this, he was the Chief Policy Officer at Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), a national higher education trade association. Kent has also previously served as the Director of Policy, Planning, and Research at the DC office of the State Superintendent of Education.
The Department of Education's responsibilities include overseeing funding for public schools, administering student loans, and running programs that help low-income students. The Department's allocation for the fiscal year 2024 was $238 billion, less than 2% of the total federal budget.
In November 2024, President Trump signed an executive order to begin the dismantling of the Department of Education, which would require an act of Congress. The executive order directed the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure" of the agency and transfer authority to state and local governments. However, the complete shuttering of the department is considered unlikely.
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The Department of Education is responsible for funding public schools
The US Department of Education is responsible for funding public schools, administering student loans, and running programmes that help low-income students. The Department of Education was created as a cabinet-level position, focusing on federal education programs, policies, and funding. While the Department of Education does fund public schools, most public funding for US schools comes from state and local governments. In 2024, the Education Data Initiative estimated that the US spent a total of just over $857 billion on primary and secondary education, with the federal contribution to elementary and secondary education making up about 8% of the total.
The Department of Education's allocation for the fiscal year 2024 was $238 billion, less than 2% of the total federal budget. The Department's discretionary budget is the third-largest of the Cabinet agencies, despite the Department itself being the smallest of the 15 Cabinet agencies in terms of staff numbers. The Department works hard to make the most of its funds by targeting them where they can do the most good. This approach reflects the historical development of the Federal role in education as a kind of "emergency response system," filling gaps in state and local support for education when critical national needs arise.
The original Department of Education was created in 1867 to collect information on schools and teaching that would help the states establish effective school systems. The Cold War stimulated the first example of comprehensive federal education legislation, when in 1958 Congress passed the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik. The NDEA included support for loans to college students, the improvement of science, mathematics, and foreign language instruction in elementary and secondary schools, graduate fellowships, foreign language and area studies, and vocational-technical training.
The Department of Education is led by the Secretary of Education, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. In 2024, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to dismantle the Department of Education, but this was expected to face legal challenges and would require congressional approval. The Department of Education's leadership team also includes the General Counsel, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, and other senior officials.
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The Department of Education administers student loans
As of 2024, the US President is Donald Trump. Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, which was established in 1979. The Department of Education is the smallest of any cabinet-level department, with around 4,400 employees. The executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate the closure of the agency and transfer authority to state and local governments.
The Department of Education provides resources to help borrowers manage their student loans, including making payments, consolidation, and forgiveness. For example, borrowers may be eligible to deduct a portion of the interest on their federal tax return, or their loans may be eligible for forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge. A Direct Consolidation Loan allows borrowers to combine multiple federal student loans into one loan with a single monthly payment.
The Department of Education has also celebrated several sub-cabinet presidential nominations, including Nicholas Kent, Jennifer Mascott, and Kimberly Richey. These individuals have been chosen to lead the Department's critical education reform agenda and legal operations.
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Frequently asked questions
The current leader of the Cabinet of Education is unclear. The last known leader of the US Department of Education was Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who was instructed to shut down the department in 2024.
The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The Department of Education oversees funding for public schools, administers student loans, and runs programs that help low-income students.
The department's allocation was $238 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, less than 2% of the total federal budget. The US spends a total of just over $857 billion on primary and secondary education.
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