Donald Trump wants to drain the Swamp. So far he’s not wasting any time.
And the Trump admin is looking to completely overhaul this federal agency through a shocking order.
Trump Administration Slashes Department of Education Staff in Bold
In a sweeping move, the Trump administration terminated over 1,300 Department of Education employees on Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the agency after all staff received a cryptic directive to stay away from their workplaces.
“Today we are beginning the process to cut the total number of staff at the Department of Education roughly in half,” a senior official from the department announced, signaling the start of a dramatic restructuring effort.
The layoffs, part of what’s being called a “reduction in force,” have claimed 1,315 jobs so far. This follows the voluntary departure of nearly 600 employees through programs like the federal Deferred Resignation Program and a buyout deal rolled out earlier this month. The administration’s goal? To trim down and simplify the agency’s operations.
The official revealed that 63 probationary staffers—those with less than a year on the job—were let go last month. “We are focusing on eliminating full teams whose operations are either redundant or not necessary for the functioning of the department,” the official explained, noting that 131 teams are slated for the chopping block.
For those receiving pink slips, there’s a 90-day cushion of full pay and benefits before their official exit, plus severance packages: one week’s salary per year of service up to 10 years, and two weeks for every year beyond that.
“We’re going to have these folks roll over their responsibilities by Friday, March 21st. They will then go on paid administrative leave until the reduction in force is complete,” the official said. “They will be teleworking from tomorrow until March 21st. Then all of that is being done for safety reasons to protect the 2,183 employees that are going to remain after the RIF is complete.”
The driving force behind these cuts? A stark reality: student test scores have tanked despite the department funneling over $1 trillion in federal funds since its creation. The official pointed to this as justification for the aggressive downsizing.
We spend more per pupil than any other country and have nothing to show for it. What we’ve done for decades hasn’t worked.
We know you’re bought and paid for by the teachers’ unions, but spare us the fake outrage, Tim. https://t.co/EsVU7dnG9O pic.twitter.com/1lZCMmNnBX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 12, 2025
Leading the charge is Education Secretary Linda McMahon, a business titan with a track record of navigating corporate restructurings. “We have an incredible leader in Secretary [Linda] McMahon, who has built a multibillion dollar global business and has handled restructuring several times before,” the official said.
“And all of this is being done with a very careful eye towards making education better, reducing bureaucracy and empowering the states to take charge of their own education decisions.”
The shakeup kicked off with an eerie prelude. Earlier Tuesday, staff at the department’s Washington, D.C. offices were warned that their buildings would be shuttered Wednesday for “security reasons,” amid whispers of looming mass layoffs.
“Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday, March 12th, for any reason,” read an email from James Hairfield of the Office of Security, Facilities and Logistics. Hairfield, who last month fended off a group of House Democrats trying to barge into the building, also told employees to take their laptops home Tuesday.
This purge aligns with President Trump’s campaign vow to dismantle the Department of Education. In a December chat with Time magazine, he hinted at a “virtual closure” of the agency. A White House official recently told the New York Post that Trump, a champion of state-led education, is rethinking the department’s very existence.
Just last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is poised to issue an executive order tasking Secretary McMahon with paving the way for the department’s closure, within the limits of the law.
But fully axing the agency isn’t a solo act—it would need Congress to sign off, including at least 60 Senate votes to seal the deal.
For now, the Trump administration is wasting no time, slashing staff and setting the stage for a leaner—or perhaps nonexistent—Department of Education.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
