The Massachusetts Teachers Association is slamming the Trump administration for slashing the Department of Education as the federal agency is set to close its regional office in Boston and cut half its staff.
More than 1,300 employees across the country learned Tuesday that they would be laid off from their jobs with the department, with buildings closing in Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York and Cleveland.
This is all part of President Trump’s push for a full shutdown of the Education Department as he calls the agency a “con job” and says its power should be turned over to states.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters many agency employees “don’t work at all.” Responding to the layoffs, he said his administration is “keeping the best ones.”
No so, say Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy, who are calling on Congress to “protect” the department and to “expose the lies embedded in the Trump administration’s actions.”
The leaders of the Bay State’s largest teachers’ union highlighted how the department doesn’t “set curriculum or mandate how schools operate.” The department does provide more than $515 million that directly supports students and families in preK-12 schools, they said. That money could be at risk.
“This money is crucial to providing special education services and meals in schools and ensuring that all students have equitable access to a high-quality public education,” Page and McCarthy said in a joint statement on Wednesday. “If positions supported by federal funds are cut, class sizes will likely grow for all students.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the layoffs reflect the agency’s “commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”
More than 500 employees have accepted voluntary resignation and retirement packages.
McMahon also said that the agency “will continue to deliver on all statutory programs” under its purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, and funding for students with special needs.
The Healey administration has estimated that Massachusetts could lose up to $2 billion in federal funds for education, a figure that includes support for elementary, secondary and higher education.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
