The Responsibilities and Authority of the Secretary of Education
Dennis AuBuchon
September 30, 2009
The Department of Education was created in 1979 by combining several federal agencies. through public law 96-88. The purpose of the department as identified in the law was the following:
To strengthen the federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;
To supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private educational institutions, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;
To encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in federal education programs;
To promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;
To improve the coordination of federal education programs;
To improve the management and efficiency of federal education activities, especially with respect to the process, procedures, and administrative structures for the dispersal of federal funds, as well as the reduction of unnecessary and duplicative burdens and constraints, including unnecessary paperwork, on the recipients of federal funds; and
To increase the accountability of federal education programs to the president, the Congress, and the public.
Currently there are 4,200 employees of the department and the mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The department is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assist the President in executing his education policies for the nation and implementing laws enacted by Congress. Below are some examples of the responsibilities of this department of government.
Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
Collecting data on America´s schools and disseminating research.
Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
The structure of the Education department and the objectives of each of the offices is noted below:
Office of Communications and Outreach - is responsible for overall leadership for the Department in its communications and outreach activities, designed to engage the general public as well as a wide variety of education, community, business, parent, academic, student, and other groups, including the media, intergovernmental and interagency organizations, and public advocacy groups in the President's and Secretary's education agenda. More details of this portion of the Education Department can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/om/fs_po/oco/intro.html#1
Office of the General Counsel - serves as principal adviser to the Secretary on all legal matters affecting Departmental programs and activities
Office of Inspector General - The mission of the Office of Inspector General is to promote the efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars in support of American education by providing independent and objective assistance to the Congress and the Secretary in assuring continuous improvement in program delivery, effectiveness, and integrity.
Institute of Education Sciences - The Institute of Education Sciences provides national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study, in order to provide parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers, and the general public with reliable information about educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to educational opportunities for all students; the condition and progress of education in the United States; and the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs.
Office for Civil Rights - The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on civil rights matters.
Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs - The Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary on matters concerning the Departmental legislative program and Congressional relations.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer - The Chief Financial Officer serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary and Senior Officials on all matters related to financial management, financial management systems, financial control and accounting, cooperative agreements and acquisition management and related training
Office of Management - The mission of the Office of Management is to transform the Department of Education into a high-performance, customer-focused organization by providing services to our customers that help them do a better job of managing their people, processes, and overall strategy.
Office of the Chief Information Officer - The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) provides advice and assistance to the Secretary and other senior officials to ensure that information technology is acquired and information resources are managed in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of:
the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (The Act),
the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002,
Chapter 35 of Title 44 USC,
40 U.S.C. 11315(b) and (c),
and Executive Order 13011,
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Budget Service - The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD) serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary on all matters relating to policy development and review; performance measurement and evaluation; budget processes and proposals.
Risk Management Service - As part of implementing Enterprise Risk Management throughout the Department, the Risk Management Service (RMS) is responsible for identifying risks and taking effective action to manage and mitigate risks that may adversely affect the advancement of the Department's mission
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives - the goal of the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives which is to "...simply...work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities..."
International Affairs Office - the team in the Office of the Secretary that is responsible for coordinating the Department's international work.
To find out more details of the above offices the link below will give you access to all the responsibilities and activities.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/index.html?src=ln
The information above about the operations and goals of the Department of Education signifies the importance of the activities of a good education system. There are initiatives to improve the educational system which the department and the President are trying to implement. A good education system is vital to our economy growing in the global economy of today. I agree there needs to be accountability in our educational system and that we should reward those teachers who are doing a great job as evidenced in the results through their students. The accountability factor does not just involve teachers but communities, administrators, parents and students. Another factor which should be addressed through this initiative is the changes in textbooks that are now being produced. The students in the education system of today are not seeing what we as children learned when we were in school.
To expand on the statement above updating the textbooks for the students of today is not a bad thing but the question must be raised as to who is making the decision to change the content and what to change. Another point which I feel needs to be made is that subjects being taught in the classrooms of today need to make the connection between the textbook and how it will benefit them in the job market. This aspect is important and I feel the connection is not made to a large extent. One area which I feel needs to be addressed is that in many cases there are great instructors within business that are not recognized as being a valid teacher though they teach the employees of the company for which they work. I am not discounting the fact that a degree in the educational realm is a good thing, however having a degree does not necessarily mean that a person has the capability of performing the job. It also means that not having a degree does not mean an individual cannot do a great job with the subjects they have the experience and expertise to teach.
The current initiatives of the Department of Education are a good thing except there is talk about expanding the hours of the day for school or extending the school year. I feel this approach though it may be well intentioned will not be a benefit. What needs to happen is to achieve the improvements within the current environment. Adding hours or days will not change the outcome. The outcome will change with emphasis on improving the system and making it better. Our educational system is a great one but it does need to be improved as can be seen in how the ranking of various subjects are lower than the rest of the world. The current educational initiatives by the Department of Education should be supported by all of us.
As identified improving the educational system and holding communities, administrators, teachers, parents and students accountable is a critical element. In regards to the student portion of the accountability many times students do not make the effort to learn the subjects they are being taught. A teacher can only do so much but if the student does not make the effort to learn it is not the fault of the teacher. The environment in a classroom setting must be one that makes it enjoyable to learn the subjects being taught. Some subjects are boring but creating an environment which develops interest in a subject would add to students being interested enough to learn. Connecting the classroom to how a subject can add to their success when they enter the workforce is a key part of creating this environment. One last point to make is that the jobs of tomorrow will be different than those of today. Our educational system must adapt to prepare the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow. To find out more about the Department of Education the following link provides access to the work being done and how it is being done. You can click on any of the tabs at the top of the page to access the details and topics of the web site.
http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
To strengthen the federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;
To supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private educational institutions, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;
To encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in federal education programs;
To promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;
To improve the coordination of federal education programs;
To improve the management and efficiency of federal education activities, especially with respect to the process, procedures, and administrative structures for the dispersal of federal funds, as well as the reduction of unnecessary and duplicative burdens and constraints, including unnecessary paperwork, on the recipients of federal funds; and
To increase the accountability of federal education programs to the president, the Congress, and the public.
Currently there are 4,200 employees of the department and the mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The department is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assist the President in executing his education policies for the nation and implementing laws enacted by Congress. Below are some examples of the responsibilities of this department of government.
Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
Collecting data on America´s schools and disseminating research.
Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
The structure of the Education department and the objectives of each of the offices is noted below:
Office of Communications and Outreach - is responsible for overall leadership for the Department in its communications and outreach activities, designed to engage the general public as well as a wide variety of education, community, business, parent, academic, student, and other groups, including the media, intergovernmental and interagency organizations, and public advocacy groups in the President's and Secretary's education agenda. More details of this portion of the Education Department can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/om/fs_po/oco/intro.html#1
Office of the General Counsel - serves as principal adviser to the Secretary on all legal matters affecting Departmental programs and activities
Office of Inspector General - The mission of the Office of Inspector General is to promote the efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars in support of American education by providing independent and objective assistance to the Congress and the Secretary in assuring continuous improvement in program delivery, effectiveness, and integrity.
Institute of Education Sciences - The Institute of Education Sciences provides national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study, in order to provide parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers, and the general public with reliable information about educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to educational opportunities for all students; the condition and progress of education in the United States; and the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs.
Office for Civil Rights - The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on civil rights matters.
Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs - The Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary on matters concerning the Departmental legislative program and Congressional relations.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer - The Chief Financial Officer serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary and Senior Officials on all matters related to financial management, financial management systems, financial control and accounting, cooperative agreements and acquisition management and related training
Office of Management - The mission of the Office of Management is to transform the Department of Education into a high-performance, customer-focused organization by providing services to our customers that help them do a better job of managing their people, processes, and overall strategy.
Office of the Chief Information Officer - The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) provides advice and assistance to the Secretary and other senior officials to ensure that information technology is acquired and information resources are managed in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of:
the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (The Act),
the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002,
Chapter 35 of Title 44 USC,
40 U.S.C. 11315(b) and (c),
and Executive Order 13011,
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Budget Service - The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD) serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary on all matters relating to policy development and review; performance measurement and evaluation; budget processes and proposals.
Risk Management Service - As part of implementing Enterprise Risk Management throughout the Department, the Risk Management Service (RMS) is responsible for identifying risks and taking effective action to manage and mitigate risks that may adversely affect the advancement of the Department's mission
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives - the goal of the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives which is to "...simply...work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities..."
International Affairs Office - the team in the Office of the Secretary that is responsible for coordinating the Department's international work.
To find out more details of the above offices the link below will give you access to all the responsibilities and activities.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/index.html?src=ln
The information above about the operations and goals of the Department of Education signifies the importance of the activities of a good education system. There are initiatives to improve the educational system which the department and the President are trying to implement. A good education system is vital to our economy growing in the global economy of today. I agree there needs to be accountability in our educational system and that we should reward those teachers who are doing a great job as evidenced in the results through their students. The accountability factor does not just involve teachers but communities, administrators, parents and students. Another factor which should be addressed through this initiative is the changes in textbooks that are now being produced. The students in the education system of today are not seeing what we as children learned when we were in school.
To expand on the statement above updating the textbooks for the students of today is not a bad thing but the question must be raised as to who is making the decision to change the content and what to change. Another point which I feel needs to be made is that subjects being taught in the classrooms of today need to make the connection between the textbook and how it will benefit them in the job market. This aspect is important and I feel the connection is not made to a large extent. One area which I feel needs to be addressed is that in many cases there are great instructors within business that are not recognized as being a valid teacher though they teach the employees of the company for which they work. I am not discounting the fact that a degree in the educational realm is a good thing, however having a degree does not necessarily mean that a person has the capability of performing the job. It also means that not having a degree does not mean an individual cannot do a great job with the subjects they have the experience and expertise to teach.
The current initiatives of the Department of Education are a good thing except there is talk about expanding the hours of the day for school or extending the school year. I feel this approach though it may be well intentioned will not be a benefit. What needs to happen is to achieve the improvements within the current environment. Adding hours or days will not change the outcome. The outcome will change with emphasis on improving the system and making it better. Our educational system is a great one but it does need to be improved as can be seen in how the ranking of various subjects are lower than the rest of the world. The current educational initiatives by the Department of Education should be supported by all of us.
As identified improving the educational system and holding communities, administrators, teachers, parents and students accountable is a critical element. In regards to the student portion of the accountability many times students do not make the effort to learn the subjects they are being taught. A teacher can only do so much but if the student does not make the effort to learn it is not the fault of the teacher. The environment in a classroom setting must be one that makes it enjoyable to learn the subjects being taught. Some subjects are boring but creating an environment which develops interest in a subject would add to students being interested enough to learn. Connecting the classroom to how a subject can add to their success when they enter the workforce is a key part of creating this environment. One last point to make is that the jobs of tomorrow will be different than those of today. Our educational system must adapt to prepare the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow. To find out more about the Department of Education the following link provides access to the work being done and how it is being done. You can click on any of the tabs at the top of the page to access the details and topics of the web site.
http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
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