- ED to cut workforce by nearly half
- House passes CR for rest of FY 2025
- Opportunity to participate in student success research
ED to cut workforce by nearly half
The U.S. Education Department (ED) announced Tuesday evening that it will begin cutting its workforce of more than 4,000 by nearly half, beginning on March 21, when affected staff will be placed on administrative leave.
Staff in all divisions will be reduced, though some divisions will face “significant reorganization,” the department said in a release. ED noted it will continue to deliver on all statutory programs under its purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell grants and competitive grantmaking.
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in the release. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
The department said its workforce will drop to about 2,183, from about 4,133 in January when President Donald Trump took office. The reduction includes nearly 600 employees who recently accepted voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement offered by the Trump administration.
Tuesday’s announcement comes ahead of an expected executive order from the White House to plan for the closure of the department. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said at her Senate confirmation hearing last month that she agreed such a move would require action by Congress.
House passes CR for rest of FY 2025
The House on Tuesday passed along party lines legislation that would extend a continuing resolution (CR) through September 30, when the federal government’s 2025 fiscal year ends. The current CR expires at midnight on Friday.
Following the 217-213 vote, the bill now heads to the Senate, where it will need at least eight Democratic votes to reach the 60 necessary to move it to the president’s desk. In the House vote, one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), voted against the bill, and one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), voted for it.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said Tuesday after the vote that it’s time to end the short-term funding extensions.
“With no poison pills or unrelated riders, the bill is a straightforward extension of funding and certainty for the nation,” he posted on the social media platform X.
Although the measure extends FY 2024 funding for most federal programs, it also would cut funding for some programs, including some Education and Labor department programs that would affect community colleges and their students.
If the legislation is not passed by Friday at midnight, the federal government faces a partial shutdown.
Opportunity to participate in student success research
Strada Education Foundation is currently running a survey designed to help higher education institutions, including community colleges, better understand how education-to-career guidance and work-based learning factor in their students’ success.
Colleges interested in participating in the student survey, which concludes at the end of April, can do so at no cost, and students are paid for their time. Colleges will receive their students’ results and data files in October; Strada will not disclose institution-specific results. The data will feed into the 2025 State Opportunity Index, which allows for comparison between states and peer benchmarks.
Findings in the inaugural 2024 State Opportunity Index showed that student experiences based on education-to-career guidance and work-based learning vary significantly by their field of study, race/ethnicity, gender and first-generation status.
For more information on how to participate, contact Trellis Strategies at surveys@trellisstrategies.org or call 512-219-2859.
