Layoffs at Education Dept. Leave Scars Behind the Scenes

"The machine is just broken in ways that we can't see. You won't know that something has gone wrong until it's too late. This assessment from Antoinette Flores, director of higher education accountability and quality at New America, captures the hidden dysfunction within the Education Department following the massive staff reductions."

"Despite predictions that the Education Department wouldn't be able to carry out many of its statutory responsibilities after losing more than 2,000 employees, the agency remains standing—at least from a public perspective. However, union officials, policy experts and some current staff members say that several of the agency's key operations have been rendered significantly, or in some cases entirely, dysfunctional."

"From a backlog of civil rights complaints to inquiries about grant programs that have been delayed or gone unanswered, America's agency of education oversight is running on empty, experts say. And while these hindrances may not be directly hurting college students en masse—as forward-facing services like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid are running smoothly—institutions have reported disruptions to communication and processing timelines."

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced a historic reduction in force one year ago, laying off over 2,000 employees from the Education Department. While the agency maintains public operations, union officials, policy experts, and staff members report that several key operations have become significantly or entirely dysfunctional. Some layoffs were rescinded, particularly in the Office for Civil Rights, and the department hired short-term contract workers for legal services and student aid offices. However, the Supreme Court struck down the primary lawsuit challenging the layoffs, making full reversal nearly impossible. The agency now faces backlogs in civil rights complaints and delayed grant program inquiries, though forward-facing services like FAFSA continue operating. Institutions report disruptions to communication and processing timelines.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs