#education-department

#education-department

In March, the department enacted a reduction-in-force plan to eliminate nearly half of its employees, including 276 at OCR, as part of wider effort to dismantle the 45-year-old agency. Those RIFs prompted multiple lawsuits against the department, including New York v. McMahon and the Victim Rights Law Center v. Department of Education; while the former challenged RIFs across the entire department, the latter case was restricted to the RIFs within OCR. Federal district judges issued injunctions in both cases during the litigation process.

Driving the news: The Education Department announced Monday it would direct nearly $500 million to HBCUs and tribal colleges and universities. The one-time investment is a nearly 50% increase in funding for HBCUs while it more than doubles the amount tribal colleges received. Several HBCUs did not respond to Axios' requests for comment. Flashback: Trump has positioned himself as a champion for HBCUs. In his first term, he signed a bipartisan law that secured more than $250 million each year to HBCUs and minority-serving institutions,

Commissioners Andrew N. Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak and Mark R. Meador said in a statement, "This case, which we inherited from the previous administration, was filed nearly two years ago and has suffered losses in two motions to dismiss." They cited GCU's "victory" over the Department of Education in its bid for nonprofit status, the department rescinding the $37.7 million fine and the Internal Revenue Service confirming GCU's nonprofit designation.

As Ukraine's military situation continues to deteriorate, tensions with Russia are worsening. Donald Trump's threatened sanctions deadline is approaching with no sign of Russia's intention to comply.

The Education Department stated that IBR forgiveness is paused due to ongoing litigation with the SAVE plan, impacting how forgiveness is processed for borrowers.

The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education, stated Linda McMahon.

OCR has taken unprecedented steps to streamline its functions according to demand: for example, amid a growing volume of Title IX complaints, OCR partnered with the Department of Justice to expeditiously investigate sex-based discrimination claims.

"The law does not empower the Secretary of Education to opine on the supposed illegality of a public service employer's mission-an unprecedented exercise of executive power that extends far beyond the Higher Education Act."

I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School.