Department of Education Cuts Half its Staff

Using a process known as a reduction in force (RIF), the Department of Education placed over 1,300 employees on administrative leave this week. Among those laid off are employees at the Washington, DC headquarters and regional offices across the country. In addition, nearly 600 employees accepted the Department’s earlier buyout offer, leaving what was already the smallest cabinet agency with only half of the number of employees as it began the year with.

Secretary Linda McMahon, in an interview following the RIF, said that the widespread layoffs are the first step toward ultimately closing the Department of Education entirely. McMahon has also stated that the RIF will not affect statutorily required operations, but it is likely that the dramatic downsizing will harm the capacity for and quality of service for functions across the entire agency.

The Department released an updated organizational chart that highlights the offices affected by the RIF, and early analyses indicate the most significantly affected offices are the Office of Federal Student Aid, the Office for Civil Rights, and the Institute of Education Sciences. It is unclear whether the small number of employees who remain will be capable of providing in a timely fashion required services such as program participation agreement applications and recertifications, institutional mergers, acquisitions, or changes in ownership, program reviews, and many others, to prevent institutions and students from being harmed.

A group of 21 state attorneys general has sued the Trump Administration to halt the layoffs, so it remains to be seen whether these actions will survive a legal challenge. A federal judge ordered recently fired staff at six agencies – not including the Department of Education – to be reinstated.

For more information, please contact:
Justin Monk