Dismissal

Illustration of 2 hands cutting paper dolls with scissors, representing staffing layoffs.
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Law & Courts Judge Halts Trump Admin.'s Layoffs at Ed. Dept. and Other Agencies
More than 400 workers at the diminished agency had been told their last day would be Dec. 9.
Brooke Schultz, October 15, 2025
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5 min read
The exterior of the U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 11, 2025, in Washington.
The exterior of the U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 11, 2025, in Washington. The agency on Tuesday told more than 250 office for civil rights employees they've been laid off, just days after starting another round of layoffs during the federal government shutdown.
Aaron M. Sprecher via AP
Federal Ed. Dept. Tells More Than 250 Civil Rights Staff They've Been Laid Off
The layoffs come just days after the agency began a new round of staff reductions during the shutdown.
Brooke Schultz, October 14, 2025
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4 min read
Itinerant teacher April Wilson works with Zion Stewart at Bond County Early Childhood Center in Greenville, Ill., on Sept. 29, 2025.
Teacher April Wilson, who works with visually impaired students, works with a student at Bond County Early Childhood Center in Greenville, Ill., on Sept. 29, 2025. The latest round of layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education will leave the federal office of special education programs with few staffers.
Michael B. Thomas for Education Week
Federal Ed. Dept. Offices Will Be Virtually Wiped Out in Latest Layoffs
The U.S. Department of Education is losing about a fifth of its already diminished workforce.
Mark Lieberman & Brooke Schultz, October 13, 2025
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9 min read
Illustration of a teacher's desk and speech bubbles with the colors of the US flag with stars and stripes.
Illustration with Getty and DigitalVision Vectors.
Teaching Profession Free-Speech Lines Blur for Teachers in Wake of Charlie Kirk's Killing
Fallout from teacher reactions to the activist's death led some state officials to threaten to revoke educators' licenses.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 19, 2025
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9 min read
Smart Phone and steel trap on yellow background. Concept of social media and phone addiction. 3D rendering
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School & District Management Opinion Educators Are Being Fired for Posting About Charlie Kirk. Is That a Problem?
Many schools lack a shared understanding of how free speech and professional ethics intersect on social media.
Meagan Booth, September 17, 2025
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5 min read
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025.
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point USA's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025. Teachers across the country have been fired or put on leave for their inflammatory social media posts about the shooting.
Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP
Teaching Profession Teachers Across the U.S. Get Suspended or Fired Over Posts Linked to Charlie Kirk
Teachers face discipline for social media posts following the conservative speaker's assassination.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 12, 2025
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6 min read
Illustration of two groups of professionals fighting in a tug of war with a dollar.
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School & District Management Teacher Layoffs on the Horizon: As ESSER Expires, Districts Face Tough Calls
The Great Recession offers some insight into how staff reductions might play out as ESSER funds expire.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 27, 2024
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4 min read
Illustration of scissors cutting row of paper dolls.
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School & District Management 3 Tips to Help Districts Navigate Educator Layoffs
Keep cuts in line with the district's overarching goals, an expert advises.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 19, 2024
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3 min read
Pencil Eraser Erasing Drawn Figure
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School & District Management Teacher Layoffs Are Mounting. How Districts Can Soften the Blow
Layoffs are coming in districts large and small. Here's how district leaders can handle them.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Mark Lieberman, March 13, 2024
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8 min read
Illustration of a large dollar sign with small people running, jumping and climbing to get to end.
DigitalVision Vectors
Budget & Finance School Districts Prepare for Major Staffing Cuts as ESSER Winds Down
More than half of district leaders said in a new survey that they may have to cut many of the staff they used COVID relief money to hire.
Mark Lieberman, August 23, 2023
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2 min read
Dolly Parton, left, and Miley Cyrus perform "Jolene" at the 61st annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2019. Administrators at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wis., aren't letting a first-grade class perform "Rainbowland," a Cyrus and Parton duet from Cyrus' 2017 album "Younger Now," promoting LGBTQ acceptance, because they say the song could be seen as controversial.
Dolly Parton, left, and Miley Cyrus perform "Jolene" at the 61st annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2019. Administrators at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wis., didn't let a first-grade class perform "Rainbowland," a Cyrus and Parton duet from Cyrus' 2017 album "Younger Now," promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance, because they said the song could be seen as controversial.
Matt Sayles/Invision via AP
Teaching Profession A Teacher Was Fired for Criticizing Her District's Move to Ban a Song. Here's What to Know
A 1st grade teacher in Wisconsin was fired for objecting to her district’s decision to ban a student performance of a song about rainbows.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 26, 2023
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7 min read
Scales of justice and Gavel on wooden table and Lawyer or Judge working with agreement in Courtroom, Justice and Law concept.
Pattanaphong Khuankaew/iStock
Law & Courts Court Backs Firing of Teacher Who Refused to Use Transgender Students’ Names
The appellate court said a teacher seeking a religious accommodation under Title VII caused undue hardship for a school district.
Mark Walsh, April 10, 2023
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6 min read
Layoffs are illustrated by an oversized pair of scissors, that looms over seven teachers of color sitting in chairs suspended by strings. The teachers using their laptop computers and mobile devices.
DigitalVision/Vectors + EdWeek
Teaching Profession Teachers of Color Are Most at Risk in Upcoming Layoffs, Report Says
They're more likely to be in their first few years of teaching—and let go under seniority-based layoff rules.
Madeline Will, March 8, 2023
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5 min read
Social studies teacher Matthew Hawn, who is accused of insubordination and repeated unprofessional conduct for teaching about racism and white privilege, sits on his couch inside his home on August 17, 2021.
Tennessee social studies teacher Matthew Hawn, who is accused of insubordination and repeated unprofessional conduct for teaching about racism and white privilege, sits on his couch inside his home back in August of 2021.
Caitlin Penna for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Educators' Opposition to Censorship Comes at a Big Personal Cost
A Tennessee teacher and a Louisiana librarian discuss their very public battles against book bans or restrictions on teaching about racism.
Eesha Pendharkar, December 29, 2022
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5 min read
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