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This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley.

The Department of Education is reportedly gutting its workforce. In addition to the more than 1,300 workers who were fired on Tuesday,

more than 600 have accepted separation packages or were fired last month during their probationary

period. This leaves the department to roughly half of its workforce,

which is responsible for enforcing civil rights laws and schools,

supplying student loans and grants, and tracking student achievement.

These new layoffs come as President Donald Trump calls to eliminate the department altogether.

At the heart of Trump's effort is a plan to consolidate what he describes as waste within the government, vowing to cut

federal funding for schools and colleges that promote, quote, critical race theory and transgender

ideologies. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education also sent letters to 60

colleges and universities. It says are under investigation for violations relating to alleged

anti-Semitic harassment against Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests on campuses

nationwide. Joining us to talk about all of this is Laura Meckler, a national education

writer for The Washington Post, who covers news politics and the people-shaping American schools.

Her book, Dreamtown, Shaker Heights, and the quest for racial equity, is an examination of the

ideals and realities of racial integration in her hometown of Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Our conversation was recorded yesterday.

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