Education Department Plans to Cut 50% of Its Employees
"Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday, March 12th, for any reason," a message to agency staff stated on Tuesday.
TroibNews 
The Education Department is set to reduce its workforce by over 1,300 employees and terminate several office leases nationwide this week, as part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to streamline operations within the U.S. government's smallest Cabinet agency.
On Tuesday, an agency official informed reporters that the job cuts being finalized in the coming weeks are anticipated to impact approximately half of the agency's workforce.
According to the official, the department, which currently employs around 4,130 people, is prioritizing the elimination of teams whose functions are redundant or unnecessary for its core operations. However, they framed this announcement as another move to reshape the agency ahead of the president’s yet-to-be-released executive order aimed at dismantling it.
“Today’s RIF reflects our commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon in a statement shared via social media about the reduction in force.
“I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department,” she continued. “This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
The agency has clarified that the cuts will not impact the operations of its Federal Student Aid office, civil rights investigators, or the distribution of federal funding for low-income and disabled students.
"We have a department now that exists largely to oversee contractors, add strings, and in many cases, do duplicative efforts across the department," remarked the official.
Employees affected by the announced reductions will have a 90-day period until their termination takes effect and will receive full pay and benefits during this time, along with severance pay.
These job cuts follow approximately 259 employees who previously accepted a "deferred resignation" from the Trump administration, allowing them to receive pay and benefits through September. An additional 313 employees opted for a buyout offer that provided either severance pay or $25,000, whichever was lower.
Once the force reduction takes effect, the department expects to have around 2,200 employees remaining after accounting for these resignations and buyouts.
Earlier in the day, the agency temporarily closed its Washington-area offices for "security reasons” related to the mass layoff plan, according to a department official and a notice sent to employees.
Staff were instructed to vacate the building by 6 p.m., while those with approved telework agreements were permitted to work from home the following day.
"Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday, March 12th, for any reason," the message stated.
All offices were slated to reopen for in-person work on March 13th, as outlined in the notice.
The department official noted that the 1,315 employees impacted by Tuesday's job cuts would work remotely until the following week, when they would be placed on administrative leave until their formal termination in 90 days. Additionally, the department plans to consolidate its operations in Washington from three buildings into one, the official mentioned.
The telework arrangements sparked significant confusion leading up to the staff cuts.
The American Federation of Government Employees, representing the agency's workforce, informed staffers that many supervisors had likely terminated remote and telework agreements in compliance with Trump’s earlier return-to-work order.
“If you are within the commuting area and not on an active telework agreement, we recommend informing your supervisor that you do not have an active telework agreement and requesting clarification on how to code your administrative leave for tomorrow,” the union advised in an email.
The announcement of the job cuts coincided with a protest outside the department’s headquarters featuring former agency employees, union representatives, and political leaders who opposed the cuts and Trump’s forthcoming executive order.
“Every student will feel the impact of a decision to dismantle the department,” stated Rep. Mark Takano, a member of the House education and workforce committee, during the protest. “Rural students will feel it. Students in poor communities will feel it. LGBTQ+ students and students of color will feel it. College students who rely on Pell Grants and Federal Student Aid will feel it. And students in special education all will be locked out.”
Handwritten signs were visible in the agency headquarters windows above the demonstration, one reading “We miss you,” while another said “SOS,” and yet another pleaded, “Save ED.”
In contrast, Rep. Jim Jordan stated that Trump's education agenda aligns with "where we conservatives and most of America have always been."
“The Department of Education has got a bunch of bureaucrats here in DC. Do they really make a difference for a sixth-grader in Champaign County going to a local school? No,” Jordan told PMG. “They probably make life more difficult for the teacher who's actually interacting with the kid on a daily basis. You'll see buy-in from Republicans on his goals with the department."
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday, an agency official informed reporters that the job cuts being finalized in the coming weeks are anticipated to impact approximately half of the agency's workforce.
According to the official, the department, which currently employs around 4,130 people, is prioritizing the elimination of teams whose functions are redundant or unnecessary for its core operations. However, they framed this announcement as another move to reshape the agency ahead of the president’s yet-to-be-released executive order aimed at dismantling it.
“Today’s RIF reflects our commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon in a statement shared via social media about the reduction in force.
“I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department,” she continued. “This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
The agency has clarified that the cuts will not impact the operations of its Federal Student Aid office, civil rights investigators, or the distribution of federal funding for low-income and disabled students.
"We have a department now that exists largely to oversee contractors, add strings, and in many cases, do duplicative efforts across the department," remarked the official.
Employees affected by the announced reductions will have a 90-day period until their termination takes effect and will receive full pay and benefits during this time, along with severance pay.
These job cuts follow approximately 259 employees who previously accepted a "deferred resignation" from the Trump administration, allowing them to receive pay and benefits through September. An additional 313 employees opted for a buyout offer that provided either severance pay or $25,000, whichever was lower.
Once the force reduction takes effect, the department expects to have around 2,200 employees remaining after accounting for these resignations and buyouts.
Earlier in the day, the agency temporarily closed its Washington-area offices for "security reasons” related to the mass layoff plan, according to a department official and a notice sent to employees.
Staff were instructed to vacate the building by 6 p.m., while those with approved telework agreements were permitted to work from home the following day.
"Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday, March 12th, for any reason," the message stated.
All offices were slated to reopen for in-person work on March 13th, as outlined in the notice.
The department official noted that the 1,315 employees impacted by Tuesday's job cuts would work remotely until the following week, when they would be placed on administrative leave until their formal termination in 90 days. Additionally, the department plans to consolidate its operations in Washington from three buildings into one, the official mentioned.
The telework arrangements sparked significant confusion leading up to the staff cuts.
The American Federation of Government Employees, representing the agency's workforce, informed staffers that many supervisors had likely terminated remote and telework agreements in compliance with Trump’s earlier return-to-work order.
“If you are within the commuting area and not on an active telework agreement, we recommend informing your supervisor that you do not have an active telework agreement and requesting clarification on how to code your administrative leave for tomorrow,” the union advised in an email.
The announcement of the job cuts coincided with a protest outside the department’s headquarters featuring former agency employees, union representatives, and political leaders who opposed the cuts and Trump’s forthcoming executive order.
“Every student will feel the impact of a decision to dismantle the department,” stated Rep. Mark Takano, a member of the House education and workforce committee, during the protest. “Rural students will feel it. Students in poor communities will feel it. LGBTQ+ students and students of color will feel it. College students who rely on Pell Grants and Federal Student Aid will feel it. And students in special education all will be locked out.”
Handwritten signs were visible in the agency headquarters windows above the demonstration, one reading “We miss you,” while another said “SOS,” and yet another pleaded, “Save ED.”
In contrast, Rep. Jim Jordan stated that Trump's education agenda aligns with "where we conservatives and most of America have always been."
“The Department of Education has got a bunch of bureaucrats here in DC. Do they really make a difference for a sixth-grader in Champaign County going to a local school? No,” Jordan told PMG. “They probably make life more difficult for the teacher who's actually interacting with the kid on a daily basis. You'll see buy-in from Republicans on his goals with the department."
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
