➤ On Tuesday, the US Department of Education laid off over 1,300 workers. The cuts are part of a plan by President Donald Trump to completely shut down the department, which is responsible for the country’s schools. The news is causing concern among many Americans, who believe the move will be bad for education in the US.
On Tuesday, the US Department of Education (DOE) laid off over 1,300 workers. The cuts are part of a plan by President Donald Trump to completely shut down the department, which is responsible for the country’s schools. The news is causing concern among many Americans, who believe the move will be bad for education in the US.
The DOE is in charge of education across the US. Here are some of the things it does:
- Create rules to improve US education and make sure the rules are followed
- Give money to schools; loan and give money to college students
- Track how well schools and students are doing to help them improve
- Make sure all students are treated fairly and have an equal chance to learn
- Provide resources and support for schools, teachers, and families.
When he was running for president, Mr. Trump began saying he wanted to shut down the US DOE. It’s a position that became popular with some parents in response to schools being closed for safety reasons during the coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Trump says education is better handled by state governments and local school districts.
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Linda McMahon, who Mr. Trump chose to lead the DOE, said she would carry out Mr. Trump’s plans. Last week, Ms. McMahon said that Mr. Trump planned to shut down the department with an “executive order”. That’s not something Mr. Trump has the power to do. Above, Ms. McMahon during an interview last week.
Linda McMahon, who Mr. Trump chose to lead the DOE, said she would carry out Mr. Trump’s plans for the department. Last week, Ms. McMahon said that Mr. Trump planned to shut down the department with an “executive order”.
That’s not something Mr. Trump has the power to do. The DOE was created by Congress, and Congress must approve closing the department. That’s not likely, especially since around 66% of Americans are against the idea.
The move to lay off over 1,300 DOE workers is part of Mr. Trump’s efforts to get rid of the department. The DOE now has about half as many workers as it did when Mr. Trump became president. That’s the result of these cuts, and the loss of other DOE workers who have already been fired or encouraged to quit.
The cuts will make it very hard for the DOE to do its job, and the impacts are likely to be felt by schools, teachers, and students across the country.
The move is part of a larger effort by Mr. Trump and his team to make huge cuts across many US government departments. The cuts are being led by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and his team.
Did You Know…?
The DOE is responsible for managing over $1.6 trillion in student loans.