Last night, the Trump administration fired more than a thousand workers at the Education Department. It’s not gone; only Congress can abolish a cabinet-level agency. But President Trump can hobble it while retaining a core staff to advance his agenda.
Trump may want to use the department to crack down on schools and colleges with D.E.I. efforts he opposes. He also says parents and local governments should fully control education policy. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s allies have slashed the education research budget and moved to replace some human labor with artificial intelligence. Combined with earlier layoffs, the latest cuts will leave the agency with about half the staff it had before Inauguration Day.
Students are unlikely to feel much immediate impact. That’s because, despite what Trump says, state and local school districts already make their own decisions about reading lists, curriculums, teacher pay, testing policies and student discipline practices.
Only about 10 percent of funding for public education flows through Washington. It’s mostly directed toward low-income and disabled students. Trump can’t withhold that money. The government distributes it according to formulas set by Congress.
Most of the Education Department’s budget helps students pay for college, through grants and loans. Many Trump allies believe that the student aid program should be transferred to the Treasury Department — and sources in Washington say that work is now underway.