The POTUS recently laid off almost half of the Department of Education’s workforce
People are expressing their concerns after Donald Trump signed an executive order that will see the Department of Education (DoE) dismantled.
Trump has taken a bold step toward dismantling the decades-old Department of Education, initiating mass layoffs that have already cut nearly half of its 4,133 staff members.
Reports now indicate that just over 2,000 employees remain, but their fate remains uncertain. In a decisive move, Trump has signed an executive order advancing the department’s closure. While the White House initially stated on Thursday (March 20) that the department would continue managing federal student loans, the order suggests otherwise. It declares that the DoE lacks the workforce to oversee its staggering $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and insists that ‘bank functions must be returned to an entity equipped to serve America’s students.’
The decision to lay off hundreds of Department of Education staffers has sparked a wave of criticism. Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association, condemned the move, claiming the Trump administration had ‘abandoned students, parents, and educators across the nation.’
However, some have defended the decision, arguing that the DoE has been pouring ‘billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system.’ Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation and a strong proponent of dismantling the department, remarked: “For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a broken system—one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind.”
The decision has also sparked backlash from other prominent figures. Derrick Johnson, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), expressed his displeasure, calling it “a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities whose parents voted for Trump.”
Opponents are preparing to mount legal challenges, with Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group, leading the charge. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has described the executive order as a “tyrannical power grab” and labeled it “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”
Margaret Spellings, former Education Secretary under President George W. Bush, raised critical questions about the future of the Department of Education (DoE), pondering whether it can still fulfill its remaining missions and whether this move will ultimately lead to improvements in schools.
“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?” she asked, highlighting concerns about the impact of such a major shift.
As for the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the DoE, it’s a highly divisive move that raises important questions about the future of education in the U.S. While some argue that the DoE has been ineffective, funneling money into a failing system, others warn that this change could undermine the federal support vital for many students, especially those in underserved communities. What’s your take on the situation? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
