After researching a little further, technically Editor is correct - Carter did establish THE department of education. The legislation in 1965 paved the way for Carter to establish said department. However, Editor is incorrect that Gingrich wrote much of the legislation creating the department of education. Gingrich was a freshman congressman at the time the legislation was written. He entered office in 1979. The Department was created in 1980 by Jimmy Carter.
Gingrich was a freshman Congressman at the time, however there are sites that say that Newt wrote much of the legislation -- how true that is I don't know. And frankly, what Newt did as a freshman Congressman is the least of what I find objectionable about Newt.
Newt is a Rockefeller Republican, member of the CFR, was fined $300,000 while he was in office for ethics violations, got $1.6M from Freddie Mac, etc. Red State covered a lot Newt's history.
Newt is a prefect symbol of what's wrong with DC, he's not "the cure".