The U.S. Department of Education has provided several positive impacts for American citizens since its establishment as a Cabinet-level agency in 1980. These impacts include:

1. Financial support for education: The Department distributes financial aid to eligible applicants for early childhood, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education[1][2]. This includes grants, loans, and work-study assistance to more than 12 million postsecondary students[1].

2. Promoting educational excellence: The Department works to foster educational excellence and ensure equal access to education for all students[1]. It develops policies, administers programs, and enforces federal education laws to improve the quality of education nationwide[2].

3. Data collection and research: The Department oversees research on various aspects of education, collects data on trends, and identifies best practices in education[2]. This information is disseminated to educators, policymakers, parents, and the public to help improve educational outcomes.

4. Civil rights enforcement: The Department enforces five civil rights statutes to ensure equal educational opportunity for all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age[2]. This helps protect the rights of vulnerable populations and promotes equity in education.

5. Student aid programs: The Department administers federal student aid programs, including Pell Grants, which provide need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students[5]. These programs help make higher education more accessible and affordable for many Americans.

6. Support for disadvantaged students: Through programs like Title I, the Department provides additional funding and resources to support disadvantaged students and schools in low-income areas[7].

7. Promoting educational choice: The Department has worked to expand educational options for families, including support for charter schools and school choice programs[7].

While the Department of Education has faced criticism and challenges, these positive impacts demonstrate its role in supporting and improving education for U.S. citizens.

The only issue I have with that is the underlying implication that none of those things would have happened were it not for the Dept of Ed.
#10 | Posted by BellRinger

Yet those things happened and it was because of the Dept of Ed. You offer nothing but speculation. Excuse me when I take your issue with a grain of salt.

Can't even provide a hypothetical of how any of those things would have happened without the Dept of Ed? No examples to consider? Just "There's no reason to believe those things would not have happened had it not been for the Dept of Ed"?

Why can't you EVER provide any specifics? What happened to you that makes you so intellectually lazy?