The Trump administration laid off nearly 50% of the Education Department’s (ED) workforce this week as the department moves closer to a potential shutdown.

The Details: The ED laid off more than 1,300 workers from its original staff of around 3,500. Divisions affected by the layoffs included the Office of Civil Rights, which enforces civil rights laws and investigates discrimination; the Federal Student Aid division, which manages student loans; and the Institute of Education Sciences, which researches teaching practices and education efficacy. 

For Context: Trump was expected to sign an Executive Order shutting down the ED last week, which National Review News (Lean Right bias) says was delayed “seemingly because of concerns of blowback against the administration.”

How the Media Covered It: National Review emphasized how these layoffs reduce government spending, highlighting that DOGE also “cancelled several Education Department contracts amounting to millions of dollars.” AP (Left) quoted several anonymous staffers from the department speaking about the already overwhelming workload and wrote that the Trump administration “has not said how it will proceed with thousands of cases being handled by staff it’s eliminating.” These cases involve racial and religious discrimination, disability services, and complaints of sexual violence on campuses. The Hill (Center) focused on Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s statements in a variety of interviews, including her statement that Trump is “taking the bureaucracy out of education so that more money flows to the states. Better education is closest to the kids, with parents, with local superintendents, with local school boards.”

Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission.