Teachers slam enormous Education Department cuts

July 1, 2026 - 00:44

WASHINGTON-The nation's two largest teachers unions have sharply condemned the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, even before a newly released internal report from the agency's Inspector General detailed the scale of the damage. The report, which surfaced this week, paints a grim picture of an agency hollowed out by deep staffing reductions and budget slashing.

Union leaders argue the cuts are not just bureaucratic trimming but a direct assault on public education. They say the reductions have crippled the department's ability to enforce civil rights laws, oversee student loan programs, and distribute critical funding to low-income schools. "This is not reform. This is sabotage," one union president said in a statement. "They are dismantling the very office meant to ensure every child has a fair shot at a quality education."

The internal report confirmed what educators had feared: key offices are understaffed, investigations into discrimination complaints have stalled, and support for special education programs is stretched thin. Teachers across the country have reported longer waits for federal guidance and a growing sense that the department is no longer able to fulfill its basic mission. The unions are now calling on Congress to intervene and restore funding before the damage becomes irreversible.