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Department of Education

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

Explainer

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.
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Education Funding School Mental Health Projects Canceled by Trump Might Still Survive
The end of funding could still be days away, but a new court order offers some hope for grantees.
Matthew Stone, December 24, 2025
6 min read
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025.
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. Trump's executive actions prompted legal challenges virtually from the moment he took office, and education-related policies were not immune.
Matt Rourke/AP
Law & Courts Trump's Education Policies Spurred 71 Lawsuits in 2025. How Many Is He Winning?
The legal challenges show which policies have had a big impact and how 2026 could go.
Matthew Stone, December 22, 2025
5 min read
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Fahmi Ruddin Hidayat/iStock/Getty
Federal The Ed. Dept.'s Research Clout Is Waning. Could a Bipartisan Bill Reinvigorate It?
Advanced education research has bipartisan support even as the federal role in it is on the wane.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 12, 2025
5 min read
2 silhouetted figures dismantle the Department of Education Seal and carry away the parts.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Education Funding Education Week's 2025 Word of the Year Is ...
Trump's efforts to reshape the federal role in education caused uncertainty for schools.
Evie Blad & Mark Lieberman, December 12, 2025
6 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 a U.S. House of Representatives panel in Washington on May 21, 2025. McMahon's agency has inked seven agreements shifting core functions, including Title I for K-12 schools, to other federal agencies. Those moves, announced in November, have now drawn a legal challenge.
Jason Andrew for Education Week
Law & Courts 20 States Push Back as Ed. Dept. Hands Programs to Other Agencies
The Trump admin. says it wants to prove that moving programs out of the Ed. Dept. can work long-term.
Matthew Stone, December 1, 2025
4 min read
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Special Education Parents Should Continue to File Disability Rights Complaints, Say Special Ed. Advocates
Continuing to file them puts pressure on the Ed. Dept. to enforce special ed. laws.
Evie Blad, November 21, 2025
4 min read
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
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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.
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.
6 min read
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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