[3] The department is led by the superintendent of public instruction, Michael F. Rice, who was appointed in 2019.

[4] As the principal executive officer of the Department of Education, the superintendent sits on the Governor's Cabinet, the State Administrative Board, and acts as chair and a non-voting member of the State Board of Education.

The superintendent is responsible for the implementation of bills passed by the legislature and policies established by the State Board of Education.

The superintendent also is the primary liaison to the United States Department of Education and other federal agencies.

[5] Major departmental responsibilities include: educator preparation and certification; providing technical assistance to schools in the areas of education improvement and innovation, special education, grants, transportation, health and food programs; statewide student assessment; school accountability; career and technical education; early childhood learning; distribution of state school aid; and overseeing the distribution and use of federal education program funding.