What You Need to Know about the Department of Education Cuts

On March 11, the Department of Education put out a statement saying 50% of its employees would be put on administrative leave starting on March 21, the direct result of President Donald Trump’s threat of cuts to the department.

However, on March 20, Trump signed an executive order directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to begin dissolving the entire department.

“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,” McMahon stated.

It’s worth noting that Trump’s executive order on its own cannot abolish a department, which would require the approval of Congress.

More than 250 employees have accepted the Deferred Resignation Program and more than 300 employees have accepted the Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment. Both are financial incentives encouraging workers to resign.

“If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program,” the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) told employees in an email describing the deferred resignation program.

“The Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment Authority, also known as buyout authority, allows agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate,” the OPM stated. “When authorized by the [OPM], an agency may offer VSIP to employees who are in surplus positions or have skills that are no longer needed in the workforce who volunteer to separate by resignation, optional retirement, or by voluntary early retirement, if approved.”

“By allowing employees to volunteer to leave the Government, agencies can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through the use of costly and disruptive reductions in force (RIFs),” the OPM continued. “Agencies such as the Department of Defense that have been granted agency-specific VSIP authority are not required to seek OPM approval for their use of this option.”

Jeanne White, the chair of the Department of Education at Elmhurst University, provided additional resources for students, including a link to the Illinois State Board of Education (https://www.isbe.net/) and an article about the situation that could be helpful to understand the effect on Illinois schools. (https://www.wbez.org/education/how-trumps-education-plans-might-affect-illinois-schools).

No matter how much fearmongering this current administration perpetuates, it is important to remember that while it may seem like you can’t have any control in this current situation, there is always something you can do. Stand up and fight for your education before it becomes a privilege rather than a right.