US education department offers buyout that employees call ‘beyond misleading’
Guardian5 days ago
US Dept. of Education Offers $25K Buyout to Employees
Above: US Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Hearing to examine her nomination at the Dirkesn Senate Office Building on Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Ricky Carioti/Contributor/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Facts
The US Dept. of Education (ED) issued a department-wide email on Friday offering employees up to $25K to voluntarily resign or retire, with a deadline of Monday at 11:59 pm, as part of a significant workforce reduction initiative.
The offer specifies that employees would receive either severance pay or the stated cash amounts, whichever is less, with separation taking effect on Mar. 31. The payout would be $15K for pay levels eight or lower, $20K for levels nine to 12, and $25K for levels 13 or higher.
Certain employees are ineligible for the buyout, including those employed for less than three years, recent bonus recipients, those who received student loan repayment benefits in the last three years, and individuals using disability retirement.
The Spin
Republican narrative
This plan is a brilliant move to gut a corrupt agency that's failed American kids. The ED, a bloated, problematic institution, has overseen a drop to 40th in global education rankings while spending more per pupil than any other nation. While Trump can't abolish it outright, he's implementing his duty to slash as much of its woke essence as possible until Congress steps up and abolishes it entirely.
Democratic narrative
Critics of the ED have rightly pointed to its need for some reform, but their faith should not be placed in Trump's end-it-all approach. Despite its flaws, the ED ensures civil rights enforcement, funds for low-income and disabled kids, and vital data — roles that states can't fully replace. Dismantling it risks unequal education access and chaos, hitting vulnerable students hardest while solving little.