The Trump administration has taken its first steps in dismantling the Department of Education, slashing more than 1,300 jobs and closing regional offices in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland.
According to Rachel Oglesby, the department’s chief of staff, employees were informed via email Tuesday that the Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday for unspecified “security reasons” before reopening Thursday.
“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,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
The layoffs are part of a broader effort led by Trump and the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal government. The 1,300 affected employees will officially be terminated in 90 days, with severance packages based on their length of service.
In addition, 63 probationary employees were dismissed last month under a White House directive, while more than 300 workers accepted buyouts of up to $25,000, and another 260 opted for deferred resignations.
McMahon confirmed that the cuts are just the beginning. Trump has vowed to eliminate the Department of Education entirely, a move that would require congressional approval.
Impact on Marginalized Communities
Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who served under the Obama administration, described the cuts as a direct threat to vulnerable students, particularly those in Black and Brown communities.
“It is our time to have courage and fight for kids,” Duncan previously said in a recently published interview. When asked about the impact of Trump’s proposed education cuts, he said there was a “chance to have an extraordinarily damaging and detrimental effect.”
The Department of Education plays a vital role in ensuring equal access to education, particularly for historically disadvantaged communities. It enforces civil rights protections under laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in education based on race, sex, and disability. It also administers federal funding for Pell Grants, supports students with disabilities, and provides critical financial assistance to high-poverty schools.
The administration’s decision to gut the department aligns with Trump’s long-standing pledge to shift education entirely to state control. His 2024 campaign platform describes the agency as a “woke” bureaucracy that interferes with local decisions. Far-right conservatives have taken issue with the department’s efforts to promote racial equity, diversify the teacher workforce, and protect LGBTQ+ students.
However, the department’s biggest K-12 funding programs support the communities that stand to lose the most. The Biden administration had secured more than $300 million to increase school integration through programs like the Magnet Schools Assistance Program and the Fostering Diverse Schools initiative. These programs, funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and efforts to expand teacher diversity are now at risk.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, warned that eliminating the department would devastate public education.
“If it became a reality, Trump’s power grab would steal resources for our most vulnerable students, explode class sizes, cut job training programs, make higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle-class families, take away special education services for students with disabilities, and gut student civil rights protections,” Pringle said.
The administration has also pushed a wave of directives that could further destabilize public education, including stripping schools of federal funding, promoting school voucher programs, and expanding funding for private charter operators with less oversight. Additionally, Trump’s policies have allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct raids on public schools, further creating fear among immigrant families.
Ninety percent of U.S. students — and 95% of students with disabilities — attend public schools, which depend on the Department of Education for oversight and resources.
Pringle described Trump’s education agenda as a “wrecking ball to public schools,” warning that marginalized students will bear the brunt of the fallout.
“Americans did not vote for, and do not support, ending the federal government’s commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for every child,” she emphasized.