The US Department of Education plans to reduce its workforce by nearly 50%. The layoffs affecting 1,300 employees were announced on Tuesday and characterized by Education Secretary Linda McMahon as a “major step towards revitalizing the excellence of the United States education system.”
In a statement on X, McMahon remarked: “Today’s [reduction in force] demonstrates our dedication to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are allocated where they are most needed: to students, parents, and teachers.”
Following this latest round of layoffs, the department will have about half of its former staff of 4,100, according to an official statement. Additionally, 572 employees had already opted for “voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement” in the past seven weeks. The individuals laid off will be placed on administrative leave by the end of next week.
The department also plans to terminate leases on facilities in cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland, officials announced. The agency will maintain its role in overseeing federal aid distribution to schools, managing student loans, and administering Pell grants, as stated in the announcement made on Tuesday.
During his campaign, Trump promised to eliminate the department, claiming it had been taken over by “radicals, zealots, and Marxists.” At McMahon’s confirmation hearing, she acknowledged that only Congress could dismantle the agency but hinted it might be due for cuts and restructuring.
The announcement of layoffs has sparked immediate backlash from Democratic and progressive leaders. Representative Greg Casar from Texas stated on X that the decision was “robbing our children to fund tax cuts for billionaires.”
Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement: “Presidents Trump and Musk, along with their billionaire friends, are so disconnected from the realities of American life that they fail to see how dismantling public education and canceling these contracts obliterates the American Dream… How can children from working-class families build a future if they don’t have access to schools?”
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On Monday, McMahon sent letters to 60 universities informing them they were under investigation for alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act due to protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, which the Trump administration characterized as “antisemitic harassment and discrimination” against Jewish students.
As the department proceeds with the cuts, a federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to reduce funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training. This ruling was made on the grounds that the cuts had already adversely impacted training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage.
Judging in favor of eight states that sought a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Myong Joun found that the cuts were likely motivated by Trump’s efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, which he perceives as discriminatory against white Americans.
Employees of the education department impacted by the layoffs will begin their administrative leave on March 21, as confirmed by the department.
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