From Inside Higher Ed Re Dept of Education

[kenziemom06]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Inside Higher Ed

The Education Department is moving to lay off nearly 50 percent of its more than 4,100 employees as of Tuesday evening, according to four sources inside the agency who were told about the plans.

It’s not yet clear what specific departments or positions were affected, though officials planned to tell affected employees this evening, sources told Inside Higher Ed. The department previously offered employees buyouts to cut down the workforce. The goal to reduce staff by 50 percent includes prior reductions. Those affected will receive 90 days’ severance and will have 10 days to transfer their job duties to another staffer or political appointee, according to a longtime staffer with inside knowledge of the reduction-in-force details.

The department said in its announcement that the employees will be placed on administrative leave, starting March 21, and that core programs such as distributing student loans and Pell Grants will continue.

No link yet.

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This is breaking news and the article is behind a pay wall. A bit more below. Heartbreaking and terrifying:

"Today's reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”

The Washington Post reported that 1,315 employees would lose their jobs, in addition to the roughly 600 who took the buyouts. The reductions will bring the total workforce down to fewer than 2,200.

Earlier on Tuesday, the department told staff that D.C. offices will be closed Wednesday and reopen Thursday for “security reasons,” according to an email obtained by Inside Higher Ed. One staffer said they were told by department officials that the closure was due to the reduction in force."

[Lovie777]

1. Well.............

and taking away security clearance jobs from the Opposition in the USA.

And apparently stock market only cares for tariffs.

[Teacher of the Year]

2. Republicans have been gunning for the Dept of Ed-they want the money for private schools.

Teachers have been shouting an alarm for a decade about this and nobody has listened.

Rupert Murdoch gave a speech once and said that taking over public education is the greatest money making opportunity left. If a corp can get even 5% of a state's education budget, that is a fortune. That is what testing is--forcing every state to give a percentage of their funds to corporate testing companies.

Special education cannot function without government support. It will bankrupt the districts, and the law is very clear on what they have to offer, so they can't just not meet the legal requirements. That will be a million dollar law suit for ever kid who doesn't get their IEP met. Which districts won't be able to meet without the federal support towards special education.

SO, then, the schools get sued until they are insolvent, leaving a husk for the poor kids and all the rich kids will be in private school getting their tuition paid by tax dollars.

[slightlv]

3. Doesn't trump want to do away with the IRS

and income taxes? I guess those rich kids' parents are going to have to foot the whole bill. While we "poors" pull together and create a community school... maybe with a fired teacher at the front. We won't be taking any money from anyone who doesn't agree with our statement of purpose, so those against DEI can go suck a rock. We'll just create our own institutions where and how we can. Money will be the big object to overcome, tho.

[Omaha Steve]

4. AFTER a review by forum hosts LOCKING

NOT properly formatted for LBN.