Administration Fires ED Staff Important for K-12 Programs

The Department of Education (ED) laid off about 450 staff members as part of a second Reduction in Force.

Most notably, the majority of staff in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education have been let go.

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) has only a few program directors remaining.
The Office of Special Education (OSEP) has only one person left.

These two offices oversee almost $44 billion of ED’s total $78.8 billion of discretionary funding, including:

$19.1 billion for Title I and $15.5 billion for IDEA.

Director, Advocacy, AASA, The School Superintendents Association

Author's summary: ED laid off 450 staff members, affecting K-12 programs.

AASA, The School Superintendents Association — 2025-10-14