What will slashing the Dept. of Ed. mean to your school?

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the layoffs were intended to eliminate “bureaucratic bloat.” But she added this was the first step to a full agency shut down.

Air Date: March 13, 2025 12:00 pm

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

The Trump administration announced this week that it was slashing the workforce of the U.S. Department of Education in half. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the layoffs were intended to eliminate “bureaucratic bloat,” adding this was the first step to a full agency shutdown. So what happens if the department responsible for overseeing special education, student loans, education research, civil rights violations, and subsidies for poorer public schools disappears?

The Trump administration says the move will not hinder the department’s “ability to carry out its statutory obligations,” but education advocates say America’s most vulnerable students will be hurt by the cutbacks.

On this episode of Studio 2, we look at both sides of the debate and ask how cuts to the DOE will impact Philadelphia-area schools.

Guests:

Rachel E. Langan, Senior Education Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation,
Donna Cooper, Executive Director of Children First
Upper Darby Superintendent Dan McGarry

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