The Department of Education on Tuesday announced that it is reducing its workforce by half in an effort to streamline the department and cut down on unnecessary bureaucracy.
More than 1,300 federal employees received an email at 6:00 p.m. ET letting them know they are apart of the Department of Education’s “reduction in force” (RIF) process, according to senior department officials. The cuts come after 259 workers signed up for a deferred resignation program and 313 accepted a voluntary separation incentive payment, which was $25,000 for those who resigned by last Monday. More than 60 probationary employees were also terminated in February.
“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. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
Before the cuts, the Department of Education has 4,133 total staff, a number senior department officials said “exists largely to oversee contractors, add strings, and in many cases do duplicative efforts across the department.” Senior department officials made clear that the cuts will not impact student aid, the rollout of FAFSA by Oct. 1, funding for special needs students, Civil Rights investigations, and other functions statutorily mandated by Congress.
Senior department officials said the agency focused on eliminating full teams whose operations are either redundant or not necessary for the overall function of the Department of Education. For example, officials said there are six separate strategic communications functions across offices that will be consolidated and office managers for teams as small as five people which will also be streamlined.
McMahon will also work to cut leases for several office locations as a result of the reduction in force, including in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Cleveland, officials said, adding that the department will also eventually be moved into one building instead of three in Washington D.C.
“Its going to be a big change for the department, but it is one that we truly believe is going to be better for the long-term success of our education system and our country,” a senior official said.
The Department of Education building will be closed on Wednesday for safety reasons and will reopen on Thursday, as terminated employees move to work from home until March 21. Terminated employees will have a scheduled time to collect their belongings.
After March 21, those employees will go on paid administrative leave until the reduction in force process is complete, officials said. Those employees will have 90 days from Tuesday until they are officially terminated, and the reduction in force policy mandates one week of salary for every year of service.
Secretary McMahon was confirmed last week and has been tasked with winding down the Department of Education. Ultimately, President Trump said he wants to see the Department of Education abolished and more power sent back to states and communities, and he has quipped that he wants McMahon “to put herself out of a job.” The 45th and 47th president is expected to soon sign an executive order to dismantle the department, however, officially ending the department would take an act of Congress since it was Congress who created it 45 years ago under President Jimmy Carter.
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