Education Department to cut roughly half its staff
Around 3,000 people work in the department's Washington headquarters, and roughly 1,000 are staffed in 10 regional offices across the country.
The Education Department announced a drastic reduction in its workforce Tuesday, saying it's set to cut about half of its staff.
About 1,300 career employees will receive termination notices and will be given an opportunity to return to offices to turn in government property and clean out their desks Wednesday, the Department of Education said in a news release. Another 600 people previously accepted voluntarily resignations or early retirement.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the layoffs reflect the department's "commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”
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The job cuts will perforate a department that enforces an array of anti-discrimination laws and campus safety rules and distributes funding to assist needy students, and which has drawn scorn from conservatives calling for its elimination ever since it was established during the Carter administration.
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