If you’ve ever sat in a school board meeting or stared at your kid’s math homework and wondered where these policies actually come from, you’re looking for a person. Or, more accurately, a massive bureaucratic machine. Basically, when people ask who runs the Department of Education, they usually expect a single name—the Secretary of Education. But the truth is way more cluttered. It’s a mix of political appointees, career civil servants who have seen five presidents come and go, and a specific set of laws that actually limit what the federal government can do.
It's a weird setup. Honestly, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is one of the smallest Cabinet-level agencies, yet it triggers some of the biggest political fights in the country.
The Top Seat: The Secretary of Education
At the very top, you have the Secretary of Education. This person is nominated by the President and has to be confirmed by the Senate. They aren't just a figurehead; they set the tone for the entire nation’s educational agenda. Think about how much the vibe changed between Betsy DeVos and Miguel Cardona. DeVos was all about school choice and private vouchers. Cardona shifted the focus toward student debt relief and pandemic recovery.
But here’s the kicker. The Secretary doesn't actually have the power to tell a teacher in Des Moines how to run their classroom. That’s a huge misconception. Because of the 10th Amendment and specific laws like the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Secretary’s power is mostly "the power of the purse." They manage the money. If a state wants federal funding (Title I for low-income schools or IDEA for special education), they have to follow the rules the Secretary and their team lay out.
It’s about leverage.
The Inner Circle
Right underneath the Secretary is a layer of leadership that most people have never heard of. You’ve got the Deputy Secretary and the Under Secretary. In the current administration, these roles are pivotal for specific "wars" being fought. For instance, the Under Secretary usually handles higher education. If you’re mad or happy about student loan forgiveness, that’s the office doing the heavy lifting. They oversee the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA).
The FSA is essentially a giant bank. It manages a trillion-dollar portfolio. Who runs that? A Chief Operating Officer. This person handles the technical nightmare of loan servicing, FAFSA rollouts, and collection agencies. When the FAFSA website crashes, it's this sub-department that feels the heat, not just the Secretary.
The Career Civil Servants: The "Deep" Department
While the big names change every four to eight years, the people who actually keep the lights on stay. These are the career professionals. We’re talking about roughly 4,000 employees. Compared to the Department of Defense’s millions, the ED is tiny.
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These folks work in "program offices."
- Office for Civil Rights (OCR): This is a big one. They investigate bullying, Title IX violations, and discrimination. They operate somewhat independently to ensure that whoever is in the White House can’t just ignore civil rights laws.
- OESE: The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. This is where the K-12 rubber meets the road. They handle the grants that go to state departments of education.
- IES: The Institute of Education Sciences. These are the data nerds. They run the "Nation’s Report Card" (NAEP).
If you want to know who runs the Department of Education on a day-to-day basis, it’s these middle managers. They draft the "guidance" letters. A guidance letter isn't a law, but it tells schools how the Department intends to enforce laws. It’s a subtle but massive power.
The Congressional Strings
We can't talk about who's in charge without talking about the people who write the checks. The Department of Education cannot spend a dime that Congress doesn't give them.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) are the real supervisors. If the Secretary wants to launch a new grant for "climate-ready schools," but Congress refuses to fund it, that program is dead on arrival. Members of Congress like Virginia Foxx or Bernie Sanders have historically used these committees to grill the Secretary, effectively acting as a "Board of Directors" that can make the Secretary’s life miserable.
It’s a constant tug-of-war.
The States Actually Run the Show (Mostly)
Here is the part that surprises people. The federal government only provides about 8% to 10% of total K-12 funding in the U.S. The rest comes from state and local taxes.
So, while we ask who runs the Department of Education, the reality is that the U.S. Secretary has significantly less power than a State Superintendent in a place like Texas or California. State leaders decide on curriculum, graduation requirements, and teacher licensing. The federal department is more like a regulatory auditor. They say, "If you want this extra billion dollars, you need to show us your plan for improving literacy."
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States can—and do—say no.
Some states have even debated rejecting federal funds entirely just to avoid the "strings" attached by the Department. It’s a bold move because losing that 10% usually means cutting programs for the most vulnerable students. But it highlights the fact that the "boss" in Washington isn't always the boss in your local district.
Misconceptions About Federal Control
People often think the Department of Education picks the textbooks. They don't. In fact, federal law explicitly prohibits the Department from Mandating any specific curriculum. That’s why Common Core was such a mess—the Department couldn't force states to adopt it, so they used "Race to the Top" grants to bribe them into it.
Technically, the "power" is an illusion built on incentives.
Another myth is that the Department runs the schools on military bases or for Native American tribes. Actually, the Department of Defense (DoD) runs the overseas military schools, and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) handles many tribal schools, though the ED does provide supplemental support.
The Influence of Lobbyists and Unions
To understand the leadership, you have to look at who has the Secretary’s ear. The "Big Two" teacher unions—the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—are massive players. They spend millions on elections and have a direct line to Democratic administrations.
On the flip side, groups like the American Federation for Children or the Heritage Foundation carry massive weight with Republican secretaries. These outside groups often provide the "policy papers" that eventually become Department guidance. So, in a roundabout way, the people running the department are often the ones who helped the President get elected.
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Why the Leadership Matters Right Now
In 2026, the stakes for who holds these offices are higher than ever. We're looking at massive shifts in how AI is used in classrooms, the ongoing collapse of the traditional college ROI (return on investment) model, and a culture war over what belongs in school libraries.
The person running the ED determines how federal civil rights law applies to transgender students. They decide how hard to push for student debt cancellation. They decide if "school choice" means the end of the public system as we know it or just another tool in the belt.
It’s not just about administration; it’s about ideology.
Actionable Insights: How to Navigate the Hierarchy
If you’re a parent, teacher, or student trying to get something changed, knowing the chain of command is vital.
- Don't start at the top. If you have a problem with a specific school policy, the U.S. Department of Education will almost certainly tell you to talk to your local school board. They don't intervene in individual school disputes unless it’s a systemic civil rights violation.
- Use the OCR. If you believe a school is violating federal law (like ignoring an IEP or allowing racial harassment), you don't need a lawyer to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. This is the one area where the federal "bosses" actually have teeth. You can do it right on their website.
- Watch the "Negotiated Rulemaking" sessions. This sounds boring, but it's where the real rules are made. When the Department wants to change how student loans work, they have to hold public meetings. You can actually sign up to watch or even comment.
- Follow the money. Look at your state’s "Annual Performance Report" to the federal government. It’s public. It shows exactly how the state is spending the money the Department of Education gives them. If the numbers don't match the reality in your classroom, that's where you start asking questions at the state capitol.
The Department of Education is a complex, often frustrating web of political appointees and lifelong bureaucrats. While one person sits in the big chair, the agency is really run by a combination of federal law, congressional funding, and the 50 states that actually do the teaching. Understanding that balance is the only way to make sense of why American education moves so slowly—and who is actually responsible when things go wrong.
Next Steps for Further Research:
- Check the official ED.gov "About" page to see the current confirmed officials in the Deputy and Under Secretary roles.
- Search for your state's Department of Education "Federal Programs" page to see how much of your local budget comes from D.C.
- Review the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) summaries to understand the legal limits placed on federal oversight.