Pennsylvania Department of Education
 |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | State government of Pennsylvania |
| Employees | over 600 (2013) |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | www.education.pa.gov |
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. The Pennsylvania Department of Education oversees 500 public school districts public school districts of Pennsylvania, over 170 public charter schools (2014), 14 public cyber charter schools, Career and Technology Centers/Vocational Technical schools, 29 public Intermediate Units, the education of youth in State Juvenile Correctional Institutions, Head Starts and publicly funded preschools in the Commonwealth (PreK Counts Keystone Stars) and 22 community colleges. In 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Education employs approximately 600 persons.
The agency maintains a database of all education institutions in the Commonwealth with associated data. EdNA [1] 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.
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.
...
Wikipedia