United States Secretary of Education facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of Education
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the Department of Education
Incumbent Denise L. Carter since January 20, 2025
Department of Education
Style	Mrs. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building Washington, D.C.
Appointer	President of the United States with advice and consent from the Senate
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	20 U.S.C. § 3411
Formation	November 30, 1979; 45 years ago (1979-11-30)
First holder	Shirley Hufstedler
Succession	Sixteenth
Deputy	Deputy Secretary
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level I

The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activities related to all education in the United States. As a member of the Cabinet of the United States, the secretary is sixteenth in the line of succession to the presidency.

The current acting secretary of education is Denise L. Carter, serving in this role pending senate confirmation of Linda McMahon.

Function

The United States secretary of education is a member of the president's Cabinet and is the fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession. This secretary deals with federal influence over education policy, and heads the United States Department of Education.

The secretary is advised by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, an advisory committee, on "matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher education."

List of secretaries

Prior to the creation of the Department of Education in 1979, Education was a division of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Parties

      Democrat       Republican

Status

     Denotes an Acting Secretary of Education

Health, Education, and Welfare

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	President(s)
1		Hobby, Oveta CulpOveta Culp Hobby	Texas	April 11, 1953	July 31, 1955		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
2		Folsom, Marion B.Marion B. Folsom	New York	August 2, 1955	July 31, 1958
3		Flemming, ArthurArthur Flemming	Ohio	August 1, 1958	January 19, 1961
4		Ribicoff, Abraham A.Abraham A. Ribicoff	Connecticut	January 21, 1961	July 13, 1962		Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
5		Celebrezze, Anthony J.Anthony J. Celebrezze	Ohio	July 31, 1962	August 17, 1965
						Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
6			Gardner, John W.John W. Gardner	California	August 18, 1965		March 1, 1968
7			Cohen, Wilbur J.Wilbur J. Cohen	Michigan	May 16, 1968		January 20, 1969
8		Finch, RobertRobert Finch	California	January 21, 1969	June 23, 1970		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
9		Richardson, Elliot L.Elliot L. Richardson	Massachusetts	June 24, 1970	January 29, 1973
10		Weinberger, CasparCaspar Weinberger	California	February 12, 1973	August 8, 1975
							Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
11		Mathews, F. DavidF. David Mathews	Alabama	August 8, 1975	January 20, 1977
12		Califano Jr., Joseph A.Joseph A. Califano Jr.	District of Columbia	January 25, 1977	August 3, 1979		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
13		Harris, Patricia RobertsPatricia Roberts Harris		August 3, 1979	May 4, 1980

United States Secretary of Education

Source

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	President
1		Hufstedler, ShirleyShirley Hufstedler	California	November 30, 1979	January 20, 1981		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
2		Bell, TerrelTerrel Bell	Utah	January 22, 1981	January 20, 1985		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
		Bennett, WilliamWilliam Bennett	North Carolina	February 6, 1985	September 20, 1988
3
4		Cavazos, LauroLauro Cavazos	Texas	September 20, 1988	December 12, 1990
							Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
–		Sanders, TedTed Sanders Acting	Illinois	December 12, 1990	March 22, 1991
5		Alexander, LamarLamar Alexander	Tennessee	March 22, 1991	January 20, 1993
6		Riley, RichardRichard Riley	South Carolina	January 21, 1993	January 20, 2001		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
7		Paige, RodRod Paige	Texas	January 20, 2001	January 20, 2005		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
8		Spellings, MargaretMargaret Spellings		January 20, 2005	January 20, 2009
9		Duncan, ArneArne Duncan	Illinois	January 21, 2009	January 1, 2016		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
10		King Jr., JohnJohn King Jr.	New York	January 1, 2016	March 14, 2016
				March 14, 2016	January 20, 2017
–		Rosenfelt, PhilPhil Rosenfelt Acting	Virginia	January 20, 2017	February 7, 2017		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
11		DeVos, BetsyBetsy DeVos	Michigan	February 7, 2017	January 8, 2021
–		Zais, MickMick Zais Acting	South Carolina	January 8, 2021	January 20, 2021
–		Rosenfelt, PhilPhil Rosenfelt Acting	Virginia	January 20, 2021	March 2, 2021		Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
12		Cardona, MiguelMiguel Cardona	Connecticut	March 2, 2021	January 20, 2025
–		Carter, Denise L.Denise L. Carter Acting		January 20, 2025	present		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)

See also

In Spanish: Secretario de Educación de los Estados Unidos para niños

• Education in the United States
• Special education in the U.S