Pennsylvania Department of Education

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name =Pennsylvania Department of Education

|logo =Pennsylvania Department of Education Logo.svg

|logo_caption =

|headquarters =607 South Dr, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|zipcode =17120

|seal =

|formed =

|dissolved =

|superseding =

|jurisdiction = State government of Pennsylvania

|region_code =

|employees = 500 (2019)

|budget =

|chief1_name = Khalid Mumin

|chief1_position = Secretary of Education

|parent_agency =

|child1_agency =

|website = [http://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx#.VWh5vM9Viko www.education.pa.gov]

|footnotes =

}}

The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with publicly funded preschool, K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by the governor appointed Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education. The agency is headquartered at 333 Market Street in Harrisburg."[http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/department_information/7203 Department Information]", Pennsylvania Department of Education. Retrieved on April 2, 2010. The Pennsylvania Department of Education oversees 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania, over 170 public charter schools (2019), Career and Technology Centers/Vocational Technical schools, 29 Intermediate Units, the education of youth in State Juvenile Correctional Institutions, and publicly funded preschools (Head Start and PreK Counts Keystone Stars). In 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Education employs approximately 500 persons.Pennsylvania Department of Education, Employment Opportunities, March 2014

The agency maintains a database of all education institutions in the Commonwealth with associated data. EdNA [http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/find_an_institution/7205/education_names_and_addresses__(edna_v_2)/509789] These entities include school districts and their schools, intermediate units, area vocational technical schools, charter schools, nonpublic and private schools, higher education institutions and more.

History

Following passage and signing of the Free School Law on April 1, 1834, the Secretary of the Commonwealth acted as head of the Common School System until 1837. In that year a separate Department of Schools was created with a Superintendent of Common Schools as its chief officer. In 1873, the title was changed to Superintendent of Public Instruction, and greater responsibilities were assigned to that official and to the department. In 1969, the name of the Department of Public Instruction was changed to the Department of Education, with the title of Superintendent of Public Instruction changed to the Secretary of Education. It previously ran the Pennsylvania State Board of Censors.{{cite web |url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/about_pde/7203 |author=Pennsylvania Department of Education |title=About PDE |year=2014}}

Purpose

The department has broad discretionary powers in both the development and administration of educational policies which enhance the educational experience and quality in Pennsylvania. The department also works as an ongoing study of the educational process within the state, conducting studies and programs designed to evaluate specific needs or qualities of the system. In doing so, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will recommend changes and improvements to the Governor, the Board of Education, and the General Assembly.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education also oversees policies of public libraries, academic libraries, and the State Library of Pennsylvania located in Harrisburg. It provides policy of equal opportunity in the educational system, with special regard to nonpublic education and state policy of education. It is within the Pennsylvania Department of Education's mission to collaborate with other state educational departments in an effort to create a cohesive and dynamic learning environment.

Offices and sub groups

The Pennsylvania Department of Education operates several offices and participates in many state related agencies/Boards.{{cite web |url=http://www.pde.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/departmental_offices/7235 |title=Pennsylvania Department of Education Departmental Offices |author=Pennsylvania Department of Education |date=March 21, 2014}}

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education
Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) in association with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Office of Commonwealth Libraries
State Board of Education [http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/state_board_of_education/8830]
Professional Standards and Practices Commission
Office of Food and Nutrition Programs [http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/food___nutrition_services/7483]
Special Education Advisory Panel
State Boards of Private Schools

Power Library

Power Library is the online portal to Pennsylvania libraries, a service of the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Pennsylvania Department of Education.{{cite web |title=About |url=https://powerlibrary.org/about/ |website=Power Library |access-date=6 December 2021 |language=en}}

Secretaries of Education

class="wikitable"
Name ! Dates served ! Appointed by
David Kurtzman \| 1969–1971 \| rowspan="1" \| Raymond P. Shafer
John Pittenger \| 1972–1976 \| rowspan="3" \| Milton Shapp
Robert N. Hendershot \| 1977
Caryl M. Kline \| 1977–1979
Robert G. Scanlon \| 1979–1983 \| rowspan="4" \| Dick Thornburgh
Robert C. Wilburn \| 1983–1984
Margaret A. Smith \| 1984–1986
D. Kay Wright (Acting) \| 1986–1987
William Logan (Acting) \| 1987 \| rowspan="4" \| Bob Casey Sr.
Thomas K. Gilhool \| 1987–1989
Carl Dellmuth \| 1989
Donald Carroll \| 1989–1995
Jane Carroll \| 1995 \| rowspan="3" \| Tom Ridge
Eugene W. Hickok \| 1995–2001
Charles Zogby \| 2001–2003
Thomas Winters (Acting) \| 2003 \| rowspan="1" \| Mark Schweiker
Vicki Phillips \| 2003–2004 \| rowspan="5" \| Ed Rendell
Francis V. Barnes \| 2004–2005
Gerald Zahorchak \| 2005–2011
Thomas Gluck (Acting) \| 2010
Amy Morton (Acting) \| 2010–2011
Ronald Tomalis \| 2011–2013 \| rowspan="3" \| Tom Corbett
William Harner (Acting) \| 2013
Carolyn Dumaresq (Acting) \| 2013–2015
Pedro Rivera \| 2015–2020 \| rowspan="3" \| Tom Wolf
Noe Ortega (Acting) \| 2020–2022
Eric Hagarty (Acting) \| 2022–2023
Khalid Mumin \| 2023–2024 \| rowspan="2" \| Josh Shapiro
Angela Fitterer{{Cite web \|title=Mumin Resigns as Education Head; Fitterer Named Acting Secretary \|url=https://www.politicspa.com/mumin-resigns-as-education-head-fitterer-named-acting-secretary/139960/ \|access-date=2025-01-07 \|website=www.politicspa.com/ \|language=en-US}} (Acting) \| 2024–present

class="wikitable"

Name

! Dates served

! Appointed by

David Kurtzman

| 1969–1971

| rowspan="1" | Raymond P. Shafer

John Pittenger

| 1972–1976

| rowspan="3" | Milton Shapp

Robert N. Hendershot

| 1977

Caryl M. Kline

| 1977–1979

Robert G. Scanlon

| 1979–1983

| rowspan="4" | Dick Thornburgh

Robert C. Wilburn

| 1983–1984

Margaret A. Smith

| 1984–1986

D. Kay Wright (Acting)

| 1986–1987

William Logan (Acting)

| 1987

| rowspan="4" | Bob Casey Sr.

Thomas K. Gilhool

| 1987–1989

Carl Dellmuth

| 1989

Donald Carroll

| 1989–1995

Jane Carroll

| 1995

| rowspan="3" | Tom Ridge

Eugene W. Hickok

| 1995–2001

Charles Zogby

| 2001–2003

Thomas Winters (Acting)

| 2003

| rowspan="1" | Mark Schweiker

Vicki Phillips

| 2003–2004

| rowspan="5" | Ed Rendell

Francis V. Barnes

| 2004–2005

Gerald Zahorchak

| 2005–2011

Thomas Gluck (Acting)

| 2010

Amy Morton (Acting)

| 2010–2011

Ronald Tomalis

| 2011–2013

| rowspan="3" | Tom Corbett

William Harner (Acting)

| 2013

Carolyn Dumaresq (Acting)

| 2013–2015

Pedro Rivera

| 2015–2020

| rowspan="3" | Tom Wolf

Noe Ortega (Acting)

| 2020–2022

Eric Hagarty (Acting)

| 2022–2023

Khalid Mumin

| 2023–2024

| rowspan="2" | Josh Shapiro

Angela Fitterer{{Cite web |title=Mumin Resigns as Education Head; Fitterer Named Acting Secretary |url=https://www.politicspa.com/mumin-resigns-as-education-head-fitterer-named-acting-secretary/139960/ |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=www.politicspa.com/ |language=en-US}} (Acting)

| 2024–present