On Tuesday, a crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., to voice their opposition to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its rumored plans to dismantle the federal agency. The protesters, including many former department officials, paused their chants to offer a round of applause for the workers inside, signaling their support for an institution they fear is on the verge of extinction.
The rally buzzed with energy as participants shouted, “This is what democracy looks like,” while waving signs that read, “Boycott Tesla!,” “Elon don’t rob kids,” and “No DOGE no kings.” Their message was clear: they see Musk’s efficiency push—and the Trump administration’s backing of it—as a direct threat to students and families across the country.
Later that day, FOX Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino took to X, sharing details from an email he’d reviewed. According to him, Education Department officials had instructed employees to clear out of the agency’s offices by 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the building set to stay shuttered on Wednesday. Gasparino also noted that staff had been bombarded with emails warning of “massive cuts in the workforce” and offering buyouts or severance packages as lifelines.
At the rally, speakers lambasted the Trump administration’s proposed slashing of the department, urging instead for increased investment. In a symbolic gesture, organizers asked the crowd to turn toward the Education Department building and clap for the federal employees still inside, a moment of solidarity amid the uncertainty.
Reports suggest President Donald Trump is gearing up to sign an executive order that would task Education Secretary Linda McMahon with winding down the department. A draft of the order, cited by The Wall Street Journal, directs her to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” to the fullest extent allowed by law.
The draft doesn’t mince words, declaring that “the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families.”
Trump has been vocal about his desire to scrap the department for years, arguing it’s let America’s students down. “It’s a big con job,” he said back in November. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department, cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”
But the protesters outside the department’s headquarters painted a starkly different picture, warning that dismantling the agency “will lead to children and families being hurt.” One former employee, speaking to Fox News Digital, called the cuts a step backward.
“This cut in funding is the opposite of what we should be doing. We should be providing more federal funding for these services for these kids, not less,” she said. Her biggest fear? That DOGE’s axe would hit vulnerable students hardest, slashing after-school programs like special education and English classes for immigrant children
“We’re going to be going back to the 1800s, the early 1900s, when special ed kids can’t get services, when English learners can’t learn English. This is an outrage,” she added.
Another ex-federal worker at the rally shared her dismay with Fox News Digital: “Seeing all these employees laid off right now breaks our heart,” she said. “We really have to speak up for what’s been done to the federal government.”
Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, took the mic to remind the crowd that shutting down the department isn’t a simple flick of a switch. The Trump administration can’t do it alone—fully abolishing the agency would need 60 votes in the Senate, meaning Democrats would have to sign on.
Pringle told Fox News Digital her group is already planning nationwide walk-in protests for March 19 to pressure Congress. “Educators all over this country are rising up, and they’re saying, no. … We will not stand by while this administration focuses on giving tax cuts to billionaires who already have more, when we know our students need more,” she said.
Katie Gates, an activist with Voters of Tomorrow, had a direct plea for Trump and Musk. “Please stop. Just don’t do it,” she told Fox News Digital. “You might think that you’re making government more efficient, or you’re getting rid of the deep state or whatever. But, like I said, this has far-ranging impacts on kids, on parents, on communities, on schools,” she explained. “Sometimes efficiency isn’t the highest value. Sometimes it’s support. Sometimes it’s learning.”
Stay tuned to the Fairview Gazette.
