Department+of+Education

__** The Department of Education **__

Secretary Arne Duncan was a CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and was appointed as Secretary by President Barack Obama in 2009.

The Department of Education's purpose is to promote student achievement and global competitiveness by encouraging educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

It has in four major of jobs:


 * To create policies that relate to federal education funding, administer the distribution of funds, and monitor their use. They develops regulations that determine exactly how a program will be operated. They also distribute financial aid to applicants nationwide for all education programs in all grade levels. This aid benefits all students and there are also special programs that serve individuals with disabilities, those who live in poverty, American Indians, immigrants and those with limited English proficiency.
 * To collect data and research on schools in America. They oversee the research on most aspects of education used to gathers information to help identify best types of practices in education, including teaching techniques that work. They then print a report which is available to all educators.


 * To identify major issues in education and focus attention on them on a national scale. The Department of Education makes recommendations for education reform to the President. Also, the secretary brings attention toissues in education by giving speeches, writing articles, using the media, and by making personal appearances in schools.
 * To enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds. They enforce five civil rights to ensure equal educational opportunities to all students, of any race, color, origin, sex, disability or age. These laws extend to all state educations.

History: There used to exist a Department of Education in 1867 but it was demoted in 1868 when It temporairily became a minor bureau in the Department of the Interior. In 1939 it was transferred to the Federal Security Agency and then In 1953 the Federal Security Agency became the Department of Health, the Department of Welfare, and the Department of Education.