News Archive: February 2025

2/28/25 - ED offers buyout to most of its employees of up to $25k before "very significant" Reduction in Force

Result of memo from OMB/OPM (DOGE, essentially, acting illegally) asking every agency to submit "RIF and reorganization plans" by March 13. Payout is reportedly less than vacation and benefits would be worth.

2/27/25 - ED launches a public portal at "EndDEI.Ed.Gov" for the public to submit "reports of discrimination based on race or sex in publicly-funded k-12 schools”

Press-release quotes a co-founder of "Moms for Liberty", a right-wing organization which aggressively targets schools and school boards to promote right-wing ideology. Encouraging the public to surveil and report on each other is a key component of fascism.

2/25/25 - Teachers union sues Trump administration over Feb 14th "Dear Colleague" letter saying it violates First and Fifth Amendments

Lawsuit says forcing schools to teach only government approved views around racial discrimination is a violation of free speech, and that it is too vague to understand how to comply

2/24/25 - Federal judge blocks DOGE from accessing private ED data

Temporary injunction blocking DOGE from accessing federal loan systems by Judge Deborah L. Boardman on basis of federal privacy law

2/21/25 - ED takes down student loan forgiveness and repayment applications

Affects Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan and other income-driven repayment (IDR) plans

2/20/25 - Removed a requirement set under Biden for US Secretary of Education to review how states approve authorization of charter school

Remove oversight for charter school creation, will lead to more charter schools of dubious quality

2/19/25 - Cancelled 18 grants worth $226 million awarded under Comprehensive Centers Program

Funding was for programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and were specifically targeted by conservative activists. Comprehensive centers include a national and regional centers and help state education depts/districts improve education.

Please see the spreadsheet for the rest of February and January 2025 news.