The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. He or she establishes policy, administers, & coordinates federal aid to education at all levels. The Secretary of Education is also a member of the President's cabinet. Currently Margaret Spellings is the secretary of Education. Secretary Spellings has partnered with states to implement and enforce the No Child Left Behind Act, which commits American schools to bringing all students up to grade level or better in reading and math by 2014 through high amounts of standardized testing.
Lefist U.S. President Barack Obama announced Arne Duncan as the next Secretary of Education.[1] and Duncan was Confirmed on January 22, 2009. Republican President nominated the conservative Betsy DeVos after his election in 2016, and she serves as the current secretary as of 2017.
Name | Years |
---|---|
Shirley Hufstedler | November 30, 1979 – January 20, 1981 |
Terrel Bell | January 22, 1981 – January 20, 1985 |
William J. Bennett | February 6, 1985 – 1988 |
Lauro Cavazos | September 20, 1988 – December 12, 1990 |
Lamar Alexander | March 22, 1991 – January 20, 1993 |
Richard Riley | January 21, 1993 – January 20, 2001 |
Roderick Paige | January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2005 |
Margaret Spellings | January 20, 2005 – January 20, 2009 |
Arne Duncan | January 20, 2009 – January 1, 2016 |
John King Jr. | March 14, 2016 – January 20, 2017 |
Betsy DeVos | February 7, 2017 – |