The Department of Education has laid off more than 1,300 employees and will close the Dallas Regional Office.
DALLAS — The Department of Education is undergoing massive layoffs, and at least 1,300 people have lost their jobs.
The DOE said it started out with 4,133 workers when President Donald Trump took office. After Tuesday’s cuts, they are down to 2,183 workers.
The layoffs include the Dallas Regional Office, which is now closed. They told WFAA all of their employees were impacted.
David Matthews is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He explained how the impact of the layoffs trickles down. Matthews said the DOE’s focus is to make sure that states are implementing federal laws when it comes to supporting early childhood learning, students from lower-income families, civil rights and special education.
The National Center for Education Statistics tracks those programs in order for the federal government to give funding. Matthews said that the center has been cut, which he believes will lead to some students being denied equal access moving forward.
“The real losers in this situation are going to be the children who have been historically marginalized, who have the greatest needs. And that just should show you that this is either an incompetent move or a move that is that is anti civil rights,” said Matthews, University of Texas at Austin College of Education Professor.
Paul Quinn College also shared a statement with WFAA.
“We worked with the Dallas Office of the Department of Education for years. We found them to be consummate professionals who worked hard, were passionate about their jobs, and were at all times fair individuals who held institutions accountable. They will be missed.”
Linda McMahon, Education Secretary, said these cuts were needed, and this was the first step.
“What we did today was take the first step to eliminate what I think is bureaucratic bloat…We kept all of the right people and the good people to make sure that the outward-facing programs, the grants, appropriations from Congress, are being met and none of that is going to fall through the cracks,” said McMahon.
The DOE said programs such as Pell Grants, student loans, and special needs initiatives will continue; however, they said divisions within the DOE will have to have significant reorganization.
