Source: Win McNamee / Getty
The U.S. Department of Education announced that it was firing nearly half of its workforce, preparing for a move by President Donald Trump to shut it down entirely.
On Tuesday (March 11), the U.S. Department of Education announced that it was firing 1,315 of its employees, thoroughly impacting the agency responsible for tracking student achievement and managing federal loans for college, in addition to enforcing civil rights in scholastic institutions. It is a significant move toward the goal of shutting down the agency completely (coinciding with another express goal of the conservative group behind Project 2025), although President Donald Trump cannot do that without the approval of Congress.
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department.”
In addition to those fired, 63 probationary employees were let go last month and 572 employees accepted buyout packages with 300 receiving severance packages worth $25,000. Security guards were seen locking the doors of the Department Of Education’s Washington, D.C., headquarters at the end of the day, as the building would be closed on Wednesday (March 12). The Department of Education will also close regional offices for its Office of Civil Rights in New York City, San Francisco, Dallas and Boston.
McMahon had expressed that other federal departments would be responsible for the handling of areas under the Department of Education—for example, student loans would be handled by the Treasury Department, while civil rights cases (including the backlog of cases related to collegiate protesters under the Biden administration) would be referred to the Department of Justice and cases involving disabled students would be under the purview of the Health and Human Services Department.
“What is clear from the past weeks of mass firings, chaos, and unchecked unprofessionalism is that this regime has no respect for the thousands of workers who have dedicated their careers to serve their fellow Americans,” American Federation of Government Employees Local 252 president Sheria Smith said in a statement about the firings. “We will not stand idly by while this regime pulls the wool over the eyes of the American people.” Other education professionals and advocates noted that the move would increase the costs of higher education.
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