Unlocked: What does the U.S. Department of Education Do?

President Trump signed an executive order on March 20, 2025 which, among other things, vowed to close the Department of Education. One of the newest and smallest cabinet-level agencies, the Department of Education’s mandate and funding priorities are vastly misunderstood. The Journalist’s Resource published 8 tips for better understanding and reporting on the Department of Education:

1. What the U.S. Department of Education does. (for starters: most of its funding is spent on programs for adults)
2. Not all federal education programs are funded by the Department of Education.
3. Closing the U.S. Department of Education has been a goal of conservative politicians for decades.
4. Closing the Department of Education would require acts of Congress.
5. Abolishing the agency would not erase the federal funding allocated to the programs it oversees (but some would be dramatically affected).
6. The effectiveness of Dept. of Education programs has been studied (and should be reported on).
7. State Departments of Education may not be well prepared to take on the work of the federal department.
8. There are lots of both broad and very local and individual impacts of a proposal like this. Following these stories is important for understanding the big picture.