It’s a massive staff cut.
The Department of Education is set to significantly reduce its workforce, with nearly half of its staff facing termination. On Tuesday, employees were informed that the department’s offices would close temporarily due to security reasons, and they were instructed to leave by 6 p.m. ET. Education Secretary Linda McMahon explained that these cuts were part of an effort to increase efficiency and focus resources on benefiting students, teachers, and parents.
The reduction in force follows President Donald Trump’s push to shift control of education from the federal government to the states. Trump has made it clear that he aims to eventually eliminate the Department of Education, arguing that the current federal approach has failed to meet the needs of students and families. His administration had already significantly reduced the department’s workforce, which will now be further reduced from over 4,000 employees to around 2,183.
As part of the workforce changes, several employees have voluntarily accepted buyouts or deferred resignation offers. Those who remain will be placed on administrative leave starting March 21. The affected staff will continue to receive their full pay and benefits through June 9, along with severance or retirement benefits based on their tenure.
Reports indicate that President Trump is preparing an executive order to close the Department of Education, which would require Secretary McMahon to take steps to wind down the agency’s operations. The draft of this executive order, which was reviewed by the media, claims that the federal education system has been ineffective, and a major restructuring is necessary to return control to state governments.
McMahon, in her communication with staff, emphasized her commitment to fulfilling the president’s agenda of reducing bureaucratic inefficiency. She described the effort as a “momentous final mission” to dismantle the Department of Education and transfer authority back to the states, as directed by the American people and their elected president.
