(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Education has taken further steps to dismantle itself since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of broad layoffs.
The department announced new appointees, who will support the Trump administration’s mission of returning education to the states.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon explained President Donald Trump was angry and embarrassed over the decline in the quality of education children are receiving.
Around 70% of eighth graders nationally are not proficient in reading and math, McMahon said. “We are doing something clearly wrong in the way we are educating our students.”
She explained Trump wants all children to have access to quality education by ultimately giving greater control over schools to states and parents.
“Let’s have parents be at the center of that because parents are with their children. They know what is best for their child, and they should have the choice to put their children in schools where they can flourish,” McMahon said. “No child should be a prisoner of a failing school.”
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday to allow Trump to move forward with dismantling the U.S. Department of Education with broad layoffs.
This would mean around 1,400 employees would be cut from the department, starting in August.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is temporary, since it granted an emergency application filed by the Trump administration to override a federal judge’s ruling that halted the mass layoffs. The case will continue to be argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit before going back to the high court for a full hearing.
The Center Square reached out to the Department of Education for comment on what these broad layoffs would look like, but has not received a response.
“This isn’t just about jobs,” former teacher and Department of Education liaison Dani Pierce told ABC News. “It’s about abandoning the people and programs that protect students’ rights, support educators and ensure equity in schools across the country.”
But McMahon said programs will not be defunded.
Money will be allocated by Congress, the secretary of education said.
“The president has said from day one that dismantling the Department of Education will not mean defunding those programs,” McMahon said. “That money is appropriated by Congress … parents, teachers and kids should not be worried.”
Though many lawmakers have sued the administration over withheld education funding, other education officials said the U.S. Department of Education is useless.
“Shutting down the U.S. Department of Education would not result in a loss of federal formula funding for Arizona,” state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said. “This is a waste of taxpayer dollars, shows a poor work ethic and sets a bad example to teachers and students who gather in person to learn. Educators should have a passion for academic excellence, but that is not evident at USDoE.”
