Department resumes selected academic studies and data operations within Education Sector
Education Secretary Linda McMahon's department has experienced its fair share of upheaval, with layoffs and contract terminations in February and March. But even as she advocates for departmental dismantling, McMahon has brought back some staff and restarted certain activities. Here's a breakdown of what's happening with the Education Department and education research.
McMahon has rehired 74 employees out of the 2,000 who were let go or agreed to separation packages. Additionally, the department is planning to revive about 20% of terminated research contracts. While this does not guarantee a complete restoration of pre-existing research as it once was, it's a step towards continuity.
The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, had previously terminated numerous research and statistics contracts under the Education Department's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). These terminations were challenged in court by various education research organizations under the premise that they were arbitrary, capricious, and violated statutory requirements from Congress.
Currently, the Education Department is reinstating 20 out of 101 terminated contracts. This includes the revival of regional education laboratories, an international assessment, a study on helping struggling readers, and Datalab, a web-based data analysis tool for the public. However, it's important to note that some of these reinstatements are still up in the air, as some research activities may be put up for new bids, potentially leading to smaller contracts or fewer studies.
These terminated contracts covered a wide range of responsibilities, including federally funded studies, evaluations, surveys, and access to historical data archives. While the reinstatement of 20 contracts is a positive step, the full restoration of all contracts and research activities is still a work in progress.
Education researchers, some of whom are suing the Trump administration, expressed disappointment with the limited reinstatement. Elizabeth Tipton, president of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), stated, "They’re trying to make IES as small as they possibly can." SREE and the American Educational Research Association (AERA) are currently suing McMahon and the Education Department in Maryland, aiming to restore all terminated contracts and rehire IES employees during the legal proceedings.
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- Despite the Education Department's staff reduction, Education Secretary Linda McMahon has rehired 74 employees and plans to revive about 20% of the terminated research contracts, indicating a baby step towards continuity.
- The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, terminated numerous research and statistics contracts under the Education Department's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), sparking lawsuits from education research organizations over alleged arbitrary terminations that violated statutory requirements.
- As the Education Department reinstates 20 out of 101 terminated contracts, including key projects like regional education laboratories and Datalab, it's questionable if full restoration will be achieved, given that some research activities may still be put up for new bids.
