Nearly Half of Education Department Staff Set to Be Cut Soon

The Department of Education will be terminating nearly half of its staff by Tuesday.

A memo sent earlier Tuesday informed all Education Department staff that the Department of Education’s offices would be closed from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning due to “security concerns.” The memo instructed employees to vacate the office by 6 pm. ET on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump repeatedly said that he wanted the states to be in charge of education. The issue was part of his campaign ahead of the election in 2024.

“I want to close up Department of Education, move education back to the states,” Trump said in August 2024, while noting left-wing states such as California could struggle if he does eliminate the Department of Education. “Of the 50 (states), I would bet that 35 would do great. And 15 of them, or, you know, 20 of them, will be as good as Norway. You know, Norway is considered great.”

After reports that Trump is ready to sign an Executive Order to abolish this federal agency, the “reduction of force” notifications are expected.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that it reviewed a draft of an executive order that would have ordered Education Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps in order to facilitate closure of the Education Department” based “on the maximum extent permissible by law.”

The Journal reported that the order stated: “The experiment to control American education by Federal dollars and programs- as well as the bureaucrats who are unaccountable for those dollars and programs- have failed our children and teachers.”

McMahon also sent an email to her staff in March on her first working day. She said she would lead a “momentous mission” to bring education back to the United States.

McMahon, in an open letter to his employees, wrote: “Our duty is to respect both the American people’s will and the president they have elected. He has given us the final task of eliminating bureaucratic overgrowth here at the Department of Education – a monumental mission – quickly and responsibly.”

According to the secretary, the restructuring of the Department will have a “profound” impact on staffing levels, agency budgets, and operations.