According to CNN, the U.S. Education Department announced Tuesday that it is cutting nearly 50% of its workforce as part of President Donald Trump‘s push to eliminate the agency entirely.
The layoffs, which began Tuesday evening, will reduce the department’s staff from about 4,100 at the start of Trump’s presidency to nearly half that number.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the move reflects a commitment to efficiency and accountability, though she acknowledged that fully dismantling the department would require congressional approval. White House officials have already prepared an executive order to begin the process.
The layoffs follow similar job cuts at other federal agencies led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Unions and education advocates have raised concerns about how these reductions will impact students and federal education programs.
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