What does the department of education do

1. What the Department of Education has done: core jobs and programs

Since its creation in 1979, ED has served as the federal hub for major education functions: administering college loans and federal student-aid programs, tracking and reporting student achievement, enforcing civil-rights laws in education, and making grants that support K–12 and postsecondary education ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The agency also runs targeted programs—Title I for high-poverty schools, IDEA funding for students with disabilities, Pell Grants and various student-loan forgiveness programs—which together have formed a large federal footprint in schooling and higher education finance ^{[7] [2]}.

2. What the November 2025 announcements change — and what stays

In mid-November 2025 ED announced agreements to reassign management and grant administration for many K–12 and postsecondary programs to other departments, most prominently the Department of Labor taking on an expanded role in both elementary/secondary and higher‑education grant management ^{[4] [8]}. Officials said certain “critical functions” like student loans and civil‑rights enforcement were not included in the initial transfers, though the White House has not ruled out future moves ^{[2] [9]}.

3. Why the administration says it’s doing this: efficiency and decentralization

The department and administration frame the plan as streamlining “layers of red tape,” returning power to states and parents, and aligning education programs with workforce needs—points emphasized in ED press material and by allied commentators who argue the change rightsizes federal involvement ^{[4] [3] [10]}. Supporters say shifting grant administration to agencies like Labor can better integrate education-to-workforce pathways ^[4].

4. Critics’ view: dismantling and legal/operational concerns

Multiple outlets and education stakeholders call the moves an unprecedented step toward dismantling the department—using interagency agreements and executive actions rather than legislation—and warn of potential harm to civil‑rights oversight, special‑education protections, and student‑loan borrowers ^{[8] [5] [6]}. Legal and policy analysts quoted in reporting note the administration is employing workarounds (e.g., the Economy Act) to reassign duties without Congress, a tactic some find constitutionally and practically problematic ^{[8] [9]}.

5. Practical risks raised by reporters and experts

Journalists and analysts highlight operational risks: moving program management across agencies midstream could create confusion in grant competitions, technical assistance, and program continuity; it arrives amid a stressed student‑loan system with millions in default and ongoing policy changes, complicating borrower outcomes even if loans weren’t initially transferred ^{[11] [2]}. Observers also warn that prior privatization or market moves in student lending produced borrower harms, underscoring concerns about future policy shifts ^[11].

6. Political context and competing agendas

The push ties to long-standing conservative aims, including Project 2025 proposals to shrink or eliminate ED; administration supporters see this as fulfilling campaign promises and decentralizing power, while opponents see partisan effort to sideline a statutory agency created by Congress ^{[8] [7] [6]}. Coverage shows strong partisan split: Republicans praise consolidation and deregulation goals, Democrats and many education groups argue these steps erode protections for vulnerable students ^{[6] [7]}.

7. What isn’t answered in current reporting

Available sources do not mention detailed implementation timelines for each program transfer, the precise legal mechanisms for long‑term authority shifts beyond initial interagency agreements, or comprehensive analyses of how state education agencies and local districts will experience day-to-day changes (not found in current reporting). They also do not uniformly report which future transfers—if any—will include special education, civil rights, or the student‑loan portfolio in definitive terms ^{[9] [2]}.

8. Bottom line for readers

ED has long been the central federal agency for student aid, civil rights, data and grantmaking in U.S. education ^{[1] [3]}. The November 2025 interagency reassignments mark a major restructuring driven by an administration that says it favors efficiency and state control, while critics say it’s an operational and political dismantling with potential risks for program continuity and protections for students ^{[4] [8] [5]}. Monitor congressional action and agency-level implementation reporting for specifics, since many important details and timelines are not yet documented in the current coverage (not found in current reporting).