The Department of Education has been a source of political controversy since its creation in 1980 during Jimmy Carter's presidency. President Ronald Reagan, who was first elected that year, called for it to be disbanded. As a scholar of educational policy and the balance of federal and state roles in American education, I believe that understanding the department and its leader's responsibilities is especially important today. Every child in the United States is required to attend school in some capacity, and what happens at the federal level can have real-world impacts on students ranging from preschool to grad school. Some of the Education Department's key responsibilities include administering Title I funding to help schools serving low-income students obtain an equitable education regardless of their socioeconomic status; managing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ' known as IDEA ' to ensure services for students with disabilities; and overseeing the Free...
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