On Friday, employees of the Education Department received an email offering buyouts ahead of what has been described as “very significant” layoffs. The email, sent to all department employees, urged them to consider a “one-time offer” of a taxable payment of up to $25,000 if they applied to retire or resign by the end of the day on Monday. It remains unclear whether employees in other federal agencies received a similar offer or what their status is, according to The New York Times.
However, not every employee who opts for the buyout will receive the full $25,000 payout. According to the memo, the payment will be either severance pay or $25,000, whichever is lower. To be eligible, employees must have worked for the federal government for at least three consecutive years. Additionally, those who have received student loan repayment benefits in the past three years or who have received relocation, recruitment, or retention bonuses will be disqualified, as reported by USA Today.
Why is this happening?
Even before taking office, Trump had expressed his intention to dismantle the Education Department. Recently, he criticized the department, calling it a “big con job.” During the swearing-in ceremony of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, Trump unexpectedly attacked the Department of Education (DOE), labeling it a wasteful bureaucracy. He argued that education should be fully regulated by states, citing models like New York’s county-based governance as a potential alternative.
Comparing the US education system to China, which consistently ranks among the top five globally, Trump portrayed the DOE as a symbol of federal inefficiency and academic decline. His administration has already frozen federal education funding, and proposals to dismantle the department have gained traction. For Trump, the DOE isn’t just ineffective—it’s unnecessary.
The Trump administration has also warned of major layoffs across the federal workforce in the coming weeks and months. In a recent statement, Trump reaffirmed his stance, declaring that he wants the Education Department to be “closed immediately.,” as reported by USA Today.
