S1E455 - Unpacking the DoEd: What Do They Actually Do?

The U.S. Department of Education has been a subject of political debate since its creation in 1980. 

“It's the one whose status has been most tenuous from the inception. So the recent calls we've heard to eliminate the Department of Education have really been a constant feature of its history from the moment it was created,” says Marty West, a Harvard professor specializing in the politics of K-12 education. He explains that the DoEd, established in 1980 under President Jimmy Carter, was politically motivated but also aimed at consolidating federal education efforts. Despite its relatively small financial footprint—contribu...