What does the Department of Education do?

Wikianswers: “The Department of Education regulates exactly what, when and how children are being educated within the public school system. It is immensly important so to secure the integrity and promising future for the next generation who will become leaders, buisnessmen and influential people. It sets course outlines, draws the fine line between evolution and creation and sets those miserable SATs everyone hates to take.”

Degree Directory: “The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is responsible for maintaining policies related to education. This government entity provides financial aid to students and helps them find other resources for financial aid. ED also studies trends, ideas and techniques in education to determine what works. The U.S. Department of Education works to improve the education system and to provide educators with information that can make them better teachers. Schools offering Education degreescan also be found in these popularchoices.”

What it may not do: “In creating the Department of Education, Congress specified that:

“No provision of a program administered by the Secretary or by any other officer of the Department shall be construed to authorize the Secretary or any such officer to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system, over any accrediting agency or association, or over the selection or content of library resources, textbooks, or other instructional materials by any educational institution or school system, except to the extent authorized by law. (Section 103[b], Public Law 96-88)”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-ferriter/what-does-the-department-_b_777208.html

From Wise Geek: “The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level organization in that country's government, which is responsible for creating educational policy on a federal level. It does this by collecting information from the nation’s schools to distinguish what areas of need. Once these are identified, it is the job of the department to bring national attention to them. In addition to this, the department of education is also responsible for disbursing federal funds that are allotted for education, and enforcing federal education laws.

“Compiling data and carrying out research in schools all over the country is one of the most important duties of the United States Department of Education. This is because, before policy is created and funds are disbursed, clearly defined goals must exist, and the creation of these goals is dependent upon areas of need.

“Once data has been collected the United States Department of Education must then find the areas where federal help is needed. Once these are identified, it is the job of the organization to bring national attention to them. This awareness is important because, in a democracy, public interest is required to create laws. The department typically draws attention to the issues through the media. Articles are written, speeches given, and national conferences are held to attract public interest.”

(The above is from one Google page. There are hundreds of pages, of course. The answers do not in any way justify the department. Congress should do away with the DoE.)