Department of Education shedding nearly half of workforce

The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday said it planned to lay off about half of its more than 4,100 employees. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a news release that the workforce reduction is intended to help the department become more efficient, improve accountability, and ensure resources are used to support teachers and students. The cuts are part of President Donald Trump’s ultimate goal of shuttering the department completely, she added in a Tuesday night interview with Fox News. Completely closing the department would require an act of Congress.

Who was cut? The cuts include nearly 600 employees who earlier agreed to retire or resign through the Deferred Resignation Program and the Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment program. The remaining employees impacted by the workforce reduction will be placed on administrative leave with pay and benefits beginning March 21 through June 9. The employees will also have access to severance pay or retirement benefits based on their length of service.

What else is happening with the Education Department? A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday granted a temporary restraining order against Trump’s order to end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for teachers. The department cut hundreds of millions of dollars of funding allocated to teacher training programs. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun found that the cuts harmed students by removing mentoring and training opportunities and academic support. Joun ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the funding. California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin filed the lawsuit earlier this month, arguing that the DEI programs helped with teacher retention and equipped educators in underserved communities.

Dig deeper: Read my report about McMahon’s confirmation as education secretary.