The Department of Education sent out an email to employees on Tuesday telling them to not come into offices at headquarters in Washington, D.C. and regional offices on Wednesday because of “security reasons.”
CNN and others reported that mass layoffs at the department targeting about half the 4,400 staff were soon to be announced.
President Trump campaigned on shutting down the Department of Education. Linda McMahon, his nominee for secretary of Education, was just sworn in last week and is apparently moving in Trump Time.
Last Thursday, Trump confirmed to reporters he was planning on signing an executive order shutting down the Department of Education. (It would ultimately take a vote of Congress to abolish the department.)
The caption accompanying the video above posted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds background, “A preliminary executive order prepared for President Donald Trump seeks to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education to “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” according to a draft reviewed by USA TODAY. The order would direct Linda McMahon, the newly installed education secretary, to dismantle the agency she oversees. A White House official told USA TODAY Trump is still examining his next steps toward a potential executive action and addressing the future of the Department of Education.”
CBS News was first to report on the temporary shutdown of the Education buildings (excerpt):
Staff at the Department of Education received a notice Tuesday instructing them to leave the building by 6 p.m. local time and informing them that all department offices in Washington, D.C., as well as regional offices, will be closed Wednesday, according to an email obtained by CBS News.
The email, from James Hairfield of the Office of Security, Facilities and Logistics, said that the offices will be closed “for security reasons.”
Staff with approved telework agreements were told they can work from home Wednesday. The email instructed employees to bring their laptops home with them when leaving the office Tuesday.
“Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday, March 12th, for any reason,” the email said, referencing the Education Department.
Offices will reopen on Thursday, “at which time in-person presence will resume,” according to the message.
An image of the email on the office closures was posted to X by CBS News reporter Sara Cook. (Note: X embedding still not functional after Monday’s cyber attack)
Semafor reporter Shelby Talcott reported on X that mass layoffs are expected: “Scoop: Per person familiar, “reduction in force” notices for the Education Department are expected to go out today at 6pm. Nearly half of the department is expected to be eliminated.”
After being sworn in last week, McMahon emailed a message to the staff with the ominous headline, “Secretary McMahon: Our Department’s Final Mission”, with this key message:
“The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington. Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly.”
Full statement:
When I took the oath of office as Secretary of Education, I accepted responsibility for overseeing the U.S. Department of Education and those who work here. But more importantly, I took responsibility for supporting over 100 million American children and college students who are counting on their education to create opportunity and prepare them for a rewarding career.
I want to do right by both.
As you are all aware, President Trump nominated me to take the lead on one of his most momentous campaign promises to families. My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children. As a mother and grandmother, I know there is nobody more qualified than a parent to make educational decisions for their children. I also started my career studying to be a teacher, and as a Connecticut Board of Education member and college trustee, I have long held that teaching is the most noble of professions. As a businesswoman, I know the power of education to prepare workers for fulfilling careers.
American education can be the greatest in the world. It ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination. Parents, teachers, and students alike deserve better.
After President Trump’s inauguration last month, he steadily signed a slate of executive orders to keep his promises: combatting critical race theory, DEI, gender ideology, discrimination in admissions, promoting school choice for every child, and restoring patriotic education and civics. He has also been focused on eliminating waste, red tape, and harmful programs in the federal government. The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington.
This restoration will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department. In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people. We will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive.
This review of our programs is long overdue. The Department of Education is not working as intended. Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished. Millions of young Americans are trapped in failing schools, subjected to radical anti-American ideology, or saddled with college debt for a degree that has not provided a meaningful return on their investment. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves after just a few years—and citing red tape as one of their primary reasons.
The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington. Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly.
As I’ve learned many times throughout my career, disruption leads to innovation and gets results. We must start thinking about our final mission at the department as an overhaul—a last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great. Changing the status quo can be daunting. But every staff member of this Department should be enthusiastic about any change that will benefit students.
True change does not happen overnight—especially the historic overhaul of a federal agency. Over the coming months, as we work hard to carry out the President’s directives, we will focus on a positive vision for what American education can be.
These are our convictions:
Parents are the primary decision makers in their children’s education.
Taxpayer-funded education should refocus on meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology.
Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs.
Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children. An effective transfer of educational oversight to the states will mean more autonomy for local communities. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics.I hope each of you will embrace this vision going forward and use these convictions as a guide for conscientious and pragmatic action. The elimination of bureaucracy should free us, not limit us, in our pursuit of these goals. I want to invite all employees to join us in this historic final mission on behalf of all students, with the same dedication and excellence that you have brought to your careers as public servants.
This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students. I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future.
Sincerely,
Linda McMahon
Secretary of Education
Earlier Tuesday, McMahon posted a video on her mission for the department:
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