The United States secretary of education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activities related to all education in the United States. As a member of the Cabinet of the United States, the secretary is sixteenth in the line of succession to the presidency. Prior to its creation as an Executive Department, there was a non-Cabinet level position called the United States commissioner of education who led the United States Office of Education.
The current secretary of education is Linda McMahon, serving in this role under President Donald Trump.
Function The United States secretary of education is a member of the president's Cabinet and is the sixteenth in the United States presidential line of succession. This secretary deals with federal influence over education policy, and heads the United States Department of Education.
The secretary is advised by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, an advisory committee, on "matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher education."
List of secretaries Prior to the creation of the Department of Education in 1979, Education was a division of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Parties
Status
Health, Education, and Welfare No.PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft officePresident(s)TexasApril 11, 1953July 31, 1955(1953–1961)New YorkAugust 2, 1955July 31, 1958OhioAugust 1, 1958January 19, 1961ConnecticutJanuary 21, 1961July 13, 1962(1961–1963)OhioJuly 31, 1962August 17, 1965(1963–1969)CaliforniaAugust 18, 1965March 1, 1968MichiganMay 16, 1968January 20, 1969CaliforniaJanuary 21, 1969June 23, 1970(1969–1974)MassachusettsJune 24, 1970January 29, 1973CaliforniaFebruary 12, 1973August 8, 1975(1974–1977)AlabamaAugust 8, 1975January 20, 1977District of ColumbiaJanuary 25, 1977August 3, 1979(1977–1981)August 3, 1979May 4, 1980Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.
Education
No.PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft officePresidentCaliforniaNovember 30, 1979January 20, 1981(1977–1981)UtahJanuary 22, 1981January 20, 1985(1981–1989)North CarolinaFebruary 6, 1985September 20, 1988TexasSeptember 20, 1988December 12, 1990(1989–1993)–IllinoisDecember 12, 1990March 22, 1991TennesseeMarch 22, 1991January 20, 1993South CarolinaJanuary 21, 1993January 20, 2001(1993–2001)TexasJanuary 20, 2001January 20, 2005(2001–2009)January 20, 2005January 20, 2009IllinoisJanuary 21, 2009January 1, 2016(2009–2017)New YorkJanuary 1, 2016March 14, 2016March 14, 2016January 20, 2017–VirginiaJanuary 20, 2017February 7, 2017 (2017–2021)MichiganFebruary 7, 2017January 8, 2021–South CarolinaJanuary 8, 2021January 20, 2021–VirginiaJanuary 20, 2021March 2, 2021(2021–2025)ConnecticutMarch 2, 2021January 20, 2025–January 20, 2025March 3, 2025(2025–present)ConnecticutMarch 3, 2025present
See also
Education in the United States Special education in the United States
References
External links