Meanwhile the Department of Education is in the midst of a historic workforce purge. This shocking state of affairs has a lot of federal employees and education advocates up in arms. When Donald Trump became president, the organization employed more than 4,100 people. Now, that number has been reduced to less than 2,000. This major shift has immediate implications for multiple agencies. It’s all part of a bigger plan to shrink the federal workforce.
In March, the Department of Education announced a reduction in force (RIF), prompting concern about its potential effects on students and educators across the nation. These layoffs disproportionately impact K-12 students, including students with disabilities, first-generation college students, and low-income students. Labor unions and advocacy groups are condemning these cuts, which hit teachers and local education boards especially hard.
In response, in May a federal court intervened and issued a preliminary injunction. This move temporarily prevented the firings at the Department of Education. This lawsuit came on the heels of several employee complaints about the shortness of the layoff notices and the suddenness of those notifications. Brittney Hinton, president of AFGE local 252, voiced her frustrations at how the administration has dealt with their plights.
“This administration is using the same playbook that led to the termination of 1,500 staff in March to further illegally dismantle the Department of Education without any regard for the impacts on the American public, and we are tired of it,” – Rachel Gittleman.
The personal toll of this policy on truly dedicated employees was highlighted by the fact that Gittleman herself received a RIF notice back in March. And that the department’s Office of Special Education Programs has seen a 20 percent cut in staff. A coworker’s coworker thus became one-third of the people who were laid off.
AFGE local 2139 president Imelda Avila-Thomas, passionately described the emotional and mental burden these layoffs have caused. As a worker at the Department of Labor, she experienced this firsthand. “Our staffing levels are pretty low, so it’s hard to comprehend how much more cuts are going to be made and who,” she stated. Avila-Thomas further noted that “that chaos is so debilitating on everybody’s mental health, physical health, and just in general it’s demoralizing.”
The timing of these layoffs has rightfully created anger among employees. The terminations came just one day before the retirement ceremony for Greg Corr, a longtime division director at the department, was scheduled. Climate of fear An anonymous employee based in the region recently recalled the timing, wondering what kind of human does that.
“This is what they do to folks with a combined 1,000 years of experience working to improve the lives of children with disabilities on the day before our director’s funeral,” – The first employee.
“What kind of humanity is this?” – The first employee.
Critics argue that bureaucratic decisions are not the whole story behind these layoffs. Now they view them through the lens of a larger trend under Trump’s administration to destroy and undermine our federal educational support systems. They argue that these cuts, as applied, will deepen the real challenges vulnerable populations are already facing in education.
In response, the department issued a reduction in force (RIF) notice. They specifically mentioned “the continued lapse in funding” as one reason for their decision, pointing to the increased budgetary pressures that federal agencies are under right now. Yet the notice used “necessary” freely to justify cuts. This brings into question what criteria were used to determine which positions were eliminated first.
Even as this upheaval continues at the Department of Education, other agencies have not followed suit in making these draconian cuts. Reports indicate that up to 75% of personnel at some of these agencies have been furloughed. The Department of Education has so far resisted a formal RIF.
While labor unions are getting ready for a reinstatement hearing after their legal challenge to permanently block the firings, employees are still left in uncertainty. Their continued employment hangs in the balance, adding to the already fraught atmosphere inside the department.