The U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it is reducing its staff by about 50%, from more than 4,100 workers when U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated to about 2,200 employees.
Some 600 staff members resigned or retired voluntarily, per the department. The other hundreds of staff members will be on administrative leave as of March 21. All impacted employees will be paid until June 9 and will get “substantial severance pay or retirement benefits based upon their length of service,” the department said.
“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,” stated Linda McMahon, the U.S. education secretary.
“I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the department,” McMahon stated. “This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
“The Department of Education will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students and competitive grantmaking,” the department said.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, stated that McMahon assured him that the reduction “will not have an impact on the Education Department’s ability to carry out its statutory obligations.”
“This action is aimed at fulfilling the admin’s goal of addressing redundancy and inefficiency in the federal government,” he said.
The Education Department has made Jew-hatred on campus a focus, including sending letters on Monday to 60 universities warning them about consequences if they did adequately protect Jews.
“U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers,” the secretary stated on Monday. “That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
