Many FABBS members rely on funding, data, and research available through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). IES is a nonpartisan research division of the U.S. Department of Education that seeks to improve the quality of education research and provide evidence-based insights to policymakers, educators, and the public.
On February 10, Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly terminated 89 contracts at IES and 29 training grants for diversity, equity and inclusion that total $101 million. The exact numbers and specifics are impossible to confirm as much of the information is being shared by postings to X, the social media platform, as we all know, owned by Musk. FABBS has also learned that IES probationary staff had been terminated during this time.
It has also been reported that on February 13, the Department canceled more than $350 million in contracts to Regional and Educational Laboratories (REL) and Equity Assistance Centers (EAC). RELs are a network of 10 laboratories that work in partnership with state educational agencies and school districts to use data and research to improve academic outcomes for students. EACs provide technical assistance to local entities regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
A week later, dozens of lawmakers signed a letter to Acting Education Secretary Denise Carter and Acting IES Director Matthew Soldner in which they expressed concern over the apparent lack of transparency and planning behind the contract cancellations and staff dismissals, calling the situation “alarming.” The lawmakers have requested a response to their letter by February 27, seeking details on the contract terminations, the rationale behind them, and DOGE’s communications with contractors since the start of Trump’s second term.
Access to Personal Data
DOGE’s activities at the Education Department have raised concerns about unauthorized access to employees’ and students’ personal data, particularly information used to apply for student loans (e.g., Social Security numbers). On February 10, a coalition of organizations, led by the American Federation of Teachers, sued numerous agencies, including the Education Department, for allowing DOGE to access such information. The plaintiffs have argued that the disclosure of department records to DOGE violates the federal Privacy Act. Two weeks later, in response to the lawsuit, a federal judge barred the department as well as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from sharing “sensitive information” with DOGE. The order expires on March 10.
