Nearly half of the Department of Education’s workforce is set to be terminated as employees receive “reduction in force” notices, Fox News Digital has learned. Staff members were informed Tuesday evening of the impending cuts, marking a major shift in federal education policy.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed to Fox News Digital that the notifications would be issued late Tuesday, signaling the beginning of a massive downsizing effort. Earlier in the day, a department-wide memo was sent out, advising all employees that Education Department offices would be closed from Tuesday evening through Wednesday due to “security reasons.” Staff were required to vacate the premises by 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
President Donald Trump has long championed the idea of shifting control of education policy from the federal government back to individual states. He made this a key issue during his 2024 campaign, reiterating his belief that state governments are better suited to handle education. “I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states,” Trump stated in August 2024. He acknowledged that while many states would likely thrive under this model, some could struggle. “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.”
The layoffs follow reports that Trump is preparing to sign an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. According to The Wall Street Journal, a draft order has already been circulated, directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” within the legal framework. The draft order reportedly states, “The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support—has failed our children, our teachers, and our families.”
Since taking office in March, Education Secretary Linda McMahon has been clear about her directive to transfer educational governance to state control. In a letter to department staff on her first day, McMahon declared her intent to oversee the transition, calling it a “momentous final mission.” “Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly,” McMahon wrote in the letter, which was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
McMahon also emphasized that the restructuring will have significant effects on department employees, budgets, and overall agency operations. While the timeline for the complete dissolution of the department remains unclear, the mass layoffs indicate that the process is already well underway.
Cut the fraud! This is great. It’s not great for New Mexico since all states will receive larger grants for their educational programs because of the federal cuts. New Mexico education is one of the lowest rated education in the US. On top of that, I don’t trust that the majority Dems will use these grants correctly. They probably throw it in an LGBTQ or abortion program. Such a wasters, most of our current legislators.
Well said, Ella!
Local school boards did a great job of determining curriculum and producing great citizens till the creation of the department of education in mid 70s. Federalizing education was simply a way to propagandize the entire country into liberal Marxist views . The numbers don’t lie, America went from 1st in world education to where we are now, 8th or worse I believe . While it’s true that some states will do better than others, I’m convinced that the current political situation in NM is certainly not good for students. States that have fallen to communism ie California, Colorado ,NM will continue their downward spiral. Local school boards must stand firm against the state to ensure that real education is taught and that we avoid producing “graduates “ that read at a third grade level as is now the case!
I agree wholeheartedly. Perhaps NM education will decline to such a degree that dems will then finally open their brain-dead eyes and see the common sense solution to improving our education. But I won’t hold my breath.
The Dems want to dumb down the children, it makes them so much easier to control.