Style Madam Secretary Seat Washington, D.C. Formation November 30, 1979 | Constituting instrument 20 U.S.C. § 3411 | |
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Appointer The Presidentwith Senate advice and consent | ||
The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the U.S. Department of Education. The Secretary advises the President on federal policies, programs, and activities related to education in the United States. As a member of the President's Cabinet, this Secretary is fifteenth in the line of succession to the presidency.
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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 U.S. 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 of Education
Democratic (5) Republican (6)
Living former Secretaries
As of March 2017, there are eight living former Secretaries of Education, the oldest being Lauro Cavazos (served 1988–1990, born 1927). The most recent Secretary of Education to die was Shirley Hufstedler (served 1979–1981, born 1925) on March 30, 2016.