Also known as: Departments of Education · DOE · U.S. Department of Education · ED
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A cabinet-level department of the federal government responsible for administering and coordinating most federal programs of assistance to education. The department is headed by the Secretary of Education and encompasses offices overseeing elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, special education, vocational training, and student financial aid.
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Destiny Davis, a program director at Dakota Industries, signed a memorandum outlining a federal grant for vocational training. The Department of Education later sought to enforce the funding terms against Dakota Industries alone. Because only one party had signed, the department could pursue recovery from the signer but held no claim against the unsigned co-applicant.
Denise Donovan received notice that the Department of Education planned to end her student-loan repayment assistance. She requested an in-person hearing to contest the termination. The department scheduled the hearing and provided an opportunity to present evidence before any final cutoff of benefits.
Dwight Dorsey, a parent in a formerly segregated district, petitioned the Department of Education after local schools failed to integrate classrooms. The department investigated and required the district to reassign students to achieve racial balance. Compliance restored equal access to educational resources for all children.
Danielle Dixon sought Department of Education funding for a charter school located in a neighborhood restricted by private covenants. The department withheld approval until the covenants were judicially invalidated. Once removed, the school received federal start-up grants.
Deanna Davenport challenged a state law criminalizing certain discussions of sexual orientation in public schools. The Department of Education reviewed the district's compliance with federal nondiscrimination rules. Funding continued after the district revised its policies to align with constitutional protections.
Daniel Diaz applied for a Department of Education grant to support physician training that included end-of-life care options. State officials denied the application under a statute limiting such instruction. The department upheld the denial after determining the restriction did not violate fundamental rights.
The department houses the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Office of Postsecondary Education, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and several others focused on bilingual education, research, and student financial assistance.
Supporting sources
A Secretary of Education appointed by the President directs the department and coordinates its various program offices and regional operations.
Supporting sources
…339 F. Supp. 986 (Kan. 1972); Y. W. C. A. v. Kugler , 342 F. Supp. 1048 (N. J. 1972); Babbitz v. McCann , 310 F. Supp. 293 (ED Wis. 1970), appeal dismissed, 400 U.S. 1 (1970); People v. Belous , 71 Cal. 2d 954, 458 P. 2d 194 (1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 915 (1970); State v. Munson , 86 S. D. 663, 201 N. W. 2d…