March 13, 2025
Written by Sasha Pudelski, Director, Advocacy at AASA, The School Superintendents Association and member of the AESA advocacy team
On 3/11/25, USED announced a major reduction in force (RIF) that, together with other recent employment actions, reduces the agency’s workforce by nearly 50%. USED has not yet published an official accounting of the RIF, although in its release noted: “All divisions within the Department are impacted by the reduction, with some divisions requiring significant reorganization to better serve students, parents, educators, and taxpayers.”
Today, 22 State Attorney Generals filed a lawsuit arguing the RIF is illegal in Massachusetts federal court. The lawsuit states that the RIF usurps Congressional authority and violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it is contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious. In response to the litigation, USED stated that “The Department of Education’s reduction in force was implemented carefully and in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws. They are strategic, internal-facing cuts that will not directly impact students and families.”
Attorneys and education policy experts are evaluating how or whether the RIF will lead to meaningful changes or delays felt at the local level. Some predict interruptions in technical assistance and data collection for districts and states, as well as possible funding delays if the staff that disseminates the formula grants are impacted by the RIF. Others believe that current and future civil rights investigations by OCR will be greatly impacted given the closure of 5 of the 11 OCR offices around the U.S. and the need to re-assign those cases to other offices. Additionally, more limited staff capacity at USED could reduce its ability to monitor district implementation and compliance of federal laws and programs. For smaller districts, where the job of ensuring federal compliance can be split between multiple people or can be one part of an educator’s job, USED oversight has been useful in ensuring districts know how to abide by the complex fiscal and policy compliance required in these programs. A reduction in technical assistance and oversight at USED may be felt by school administrators and personnel who will have to carry more of the burden of understanding the fiscal and policy minutia of these laws and regulations.