Trump Administration Slashes Education Department Staff—Special Ed and Civil Rights Units Gutted

Education Department Loses 20% of Remaining Workforce
Special Education Oversight Crippled
Civil Rights Enforcement in Schools Severely Weakened
Title I Programs for Low-Income Students in Jeopardy
Layoffs Tied to Government Shutdown Retaliation
Sources

Education Department Layoffs Trigger National Alarm

In a sweeping move that has sent shockwaves through the education sector, the Trump administration has eliminated nearly one-fifth of the U.S. Department of Education’s remaining staff. The layoffs, implemented Friday, October 11, 2025, targeted core functions of the agency—including teams responsible for special education oversight, civil rights enforcement, and federal funding for low-income students.

According to internal data and union reports, approximately 466 employees were let go, bringing total Education Department cuts in 2025 to over 90% of its pre-year staffing levels. The White House confirmed the layoffs but offered no detailed breakdown, calling them part of a broader “workforce realignment” following the recent government shutdown.

Special Education Programs Left With Just a Handful of Staff

Perhaps the most alarming cut hit the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), which once employed dozens of specialists monitoring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). That office now has fewer than six employees—a 95% reduction since January.

IDEA guarantees 7.5 million American children with disabilities access to free, appropriate public education. With OSEP nearly dismantled, advocates fear states will face little federal accountability in delivering those services.

“This isn’t just bureaucratic trimming—it’s abandonment,” said Maria Lopez, executive director of the National Coalition for Special Education. “Who will investigate when a child in rural Mississippi is denied speech therapy or a wheelchair ramp?”

Civil Rights Office Slashed Amid Rising Discrimination Complaints

The Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—already halved in March—may be reduced to just one or two regional offices nationwide. This comes as OCR received over 22,600 complaints in 2024, more than double the number from 2020, covering issues like racial harassment, gender discrimination, and disability access.

“You can’t enforce civil rights with a skeleton crew,” said former OCR attorney James Chen. “These cuts effectively tell schools: ‘Do what you want—we won’t be watching.’”

Title I Funding Oversight Disbanded

Also eliminated: the team managing Title I funding, the largest source of federal support for K–12 schools serving low-income communities. That program directs over $16 billion annually to more than 35,000 school districts.

Without federal monitors, experts warn that misuse of funds—such as diverting money from high-need schools—could go unchecked. “Title I isn’t a blank check,” said Dr. Elena Ruiz, an education policy professor at Georgetown. “It requires oversight. And that oversight just vanished.”

White House Ties Cuts to Shutdown Retaliation

The Trump administration has framed the layoffs as “consequences for Democratic obstruction” during the September government shutdown. However, critics argue the move aligns with the president’s long-stated goal to eliminate the Department of Education entirely—a promise he first made during his 2016 campaign.

“They’re not just downsizing—they’re deconstructing,” said Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), ranking member of the House Education Committee. “And children will pay the price.”

As of Tuesday, the Education Department declined to comment or release specifics about which roles were cut, citing “ongoing personnel reviews.”