NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Department of Education is the latest federal agency to announce massive layoffs.
The department announced Tuesday evening that nearly half of its employees will be placed on leave starting March 21.
The Department of Education distributes billions of federal dollars to schools every year. It also funds programs that support low-income schools and students with disabilities.
One Newport News mother is sharing her concerns about the impact this could have on students.
"My first thought because I work in the school system, is that I know it can be really hard to fill in the gaps with teachers and different things, so there was a little bit of a shock there. But I trust that everything is going to work out eventually," said Sajada Lewis.
Lewis, a mother of five, has her children in Newport News Public Schools. She says she knows the value of a good education, and teachers play a huge role in that. Her concerns stem from the latest layoffs after thousands of department employees received emails saying that they were losing their jobs. According to the announcement, there are plans to lay off more than 1,300 employees.
A recent education report card found the average U.S. student was almost half a grade level behind in both reading and math, compared to before the pandemic. That's why changes at the Education Department are leaving parents like Lewis thinking about next steps for their households.
"I am gearing towards homeschooling. I think it would be good for right now with all the confusion that's going on," Lewis added.
Fully closing the Department of Education would likely require an act of Congress. The department says that due to collective bargaining agreements, laid-off workers will get full pay and benefits until June 9.
