Education Secretary Announces MASSIVE Layoffs: Is This the Beginning of the End for the Department of Education?

2025-03-12 06:01:03.473

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced that the recent layoffs of nearly half of the Department of Education's 4,000-person workforce are the "first step" towards President Trump's goal of eliminating the agency. She stated on Fox News that this is part of a broader plan to "shut down" the Department of Education, following the president's directive. McMahon claims that the department's "excellent programs" will remain unaffected and that the cuts will allow more money to flow to the states. She added that the administration will work with Congress to achieve this goal. The layoffs, which included 1,315 employees deemed "redundant or not necessary," follow previous cuts of nearly 600 employees through buyouts and 63 probationary employees who were fired. McMahon described the layoffs as eliminating "bureaucratic bloat" and emphasized that the department retained "good people" to ensure the continuation of funding for educational programs. She dismissed criticism from the American Federation of Teachers, arguing that the plan will lead to higher test scores by reducing bureaucracy and allowing more money and parental input to reach the states.