The U S. Department of Education is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assists the president in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress. The department's mission is to serve America's students — to ensure that all have equal access to education and to promote excellence in the nation's schools.
The secretary is responsible for the overall direction, supervision, and coordination of all activities of the department and is the principal adviser to the president on federal policies, programs, and activities related to education in the United States.
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Term of Service
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Secretary | Home State | Administration |
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1979 - 1981
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Shirley Hufstedler | California | Carter |
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1981 - 1985
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Terrel Bell | Utah | Reagan |
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1985 - 1988
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William J. Bennett | New York | Reagan |
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1988 - 1989
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Lauro F. Cavazos | Texas | Reagan |
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1989 - 1991
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G.H.W. Bush | ||
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1991 - 1993
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Lamar Alexander | Tennessee | G.H.W. Bush |
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1993 - 2001
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Richard W. Riley | South Carolina | Clinton |
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2001 - 2004
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Roderick Paige | Texas | G.W. Bush |
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2005 - 2009
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Margaret Spellings | Texas | G.W. Bush |
2009 - 2016
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Arne Duncan | Illinois | Obama |
2016 - 2017
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John King Jr. | New York | Obama |
2017 - 2021
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Betsy DeVos | Michigan | Trump |
2021 - present
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Miguel Cardona | Conneticut | Biden |
| See cabinet officers sorted by administration. | ||