The U.S. Department of Education plans to fire almost half of its workforce. The 1,300-person layoffs were announced by the department on Tuesday, describing Education Secretary Linda McMahon as “an important step in restoring the greatness of the US education system.”
In a post on X, McMahon said: “Today’s (power reduction) reflects efficiency, accountability and ensuring that resources are directed to students, parents and teachers where they matter most.”
After the latest layoffs, department staff said in a statement that it would be about half of the previous 4,100. Another 572 employees have already accepted “voluntary resignation opportunities and retirements” in the past seven weeks, according to the department. Newly laid-off employees will be placed on administrative leave next weekend.
The department is also closing leases for buildings in cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said. The agency will continue to oversee federal aid distribution to schools, student loan management and Pell grant monitoring, a statement released Tuesday reads.
Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, claiming he was overtaken by “extremists, enthusiasts and Marxists.” At McMahon’s confirmation hearing, she said that while Congress only has the authority to abolish the agency, it may have deadlines for reductions and reorganization.
The announcement of the layoffs is filled with rapid condemnations from democratic and progressive officials. Texas representative Greg Casal wrote in a post on X that the person in charge is “stolen children to pay for the billionaire tax cuts.”
In a statement, Rosa Delauro, a ranking member of the House Approximately Expenditure Committee, said:
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On Monday, McMahon wrote to 60 universities to warn them that they are under investigation for their supposed violations of civil rights law in protest against Israeli war against Gaza, which the Israeli regime defined as “anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination” of Jewish students.
As the department pushes for cuts, a federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration’s plan to cut hundreds of millions of dollars to train teachers, and found that the cuts already have an impact on training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage.
US District Judge Meing Jr. was on the side of eight states who called for a temporary restraining order. The state argued that cuts are being driven by Trump’s drive to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs that the president believes are a form of racism against white Americans.
The affected education department employees will be on administrative leave starting March 21, the department said.
