The Department of Education closed its D.C. headquarters and regional offices Wednesday amid plans to lay off more than 1,300 employees at an agency that President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle.
A notice to Education Department staffers said unspecified security reasons were behind the office closures. But WTOP confirmed the D.C. police department has had no report of any threat to the building or anyone who works there.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, described what it was like when the layoffs were announced.
“Educators all over this country were outraged,” Pringle said.
It’s part of the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s effort to downsize the federal government. President Donald Trump has said he plans to eliminate the Department of Education altogether and give sole responsibility to the states
The Education Department will be slimmed from 4,133 employees to just 2,183. That number includes 572 workers who had already accepted voluntary resignations or retirement options over the past seven weeks.
Impacted workers will be placed on administrative leave on March 21, but will continue to receive full pay and benefits until June 9. In addition, they will be eligible for severance pay or retirement benefits, based on their tenure with the department.
Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions, such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants.
But Pringle contested those statements.
“Nobody could possibly believe that you’re letting go nearly half of your staff and they’re still going to be able to meet the needs of the students across America,” Pringle said.
Offices closed: ‘Just trying to keep our heads down’
Dozens of supporters rallied outside the headquarters on Tuesday morning, before Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the layoffs and office closure.
But there was relatively little activity Wednesday morning outside the agency’s offices on Maryland Avenue in Southwest D.C., where thousands of employees would typically be showing up to work.
Since the early morning, contractors arrived at the headquarters, likely unaware the building was closed. Most were turned away, but some people were let into the building.
One woman who was admitted into the building identified herself as a current employee, but she would not specify which division or what she did.
“Look, we are just trying to keep our heads down and do our jobs,” she told WTOP.
A single protester stood in front of the main entrance on Maryland Avenue. Chloe carried a sign that said, “Schools not fascist fools.”
“Teachers took care of me for 17 years,” she said. “The least I can do is come support them for a day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
