Last week, Congress passed a new continuing resolution (CR) that avoided a government shutdown and will largely continue to fund federal programs for the remainder of the federal fiscal year 2025 (FY25), mostly aligned with current levels of support. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) saw a large-scale reduction in force (RIF) that aligns with previous executive actions taken by the Trump administration in recent weeks. Elsewhere, a House subcommittee discussed school choice, and the White House issued an executive order (EO) regarding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Continuing Resolution Passed Without Explanatory Note
Last Friday, the federal government averted a government shutdown as Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) for the remainder of fiscal year 2025 (FY25). President Trump signed this CR into law over the weekend. The CR, passed almost entirely along party lines, mostly maintains level funding from fiscal year 2024 (FY24) through the end of the current FY25 ending this September 30, including state formula funds authorized by Title I of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). The CR similarly extends most funding for other major education and workforce development programs while making a few targeted funding reductions for national programs overseen by the Department of Education (ED) and Department of Labor (DOL). The nature of the CR provides significant new discretion for the administration to determine how funding for the remainder of the FY25 will be allocated and distributed—efforts Advance CTE will be monitoring closely in the months ahead.
U.S. Department of Education Reduction in Force
Last week, the Department of Education (ED) initiated a substantial reduction in force (RIF) in alignment with President Trump’s wider agenda to streamline federal operations. The RIF announcement affected nearly half of ED’s employees. Notably the RIF appears to have eliminated staff within ED’s research division, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), a concern for the future of education research and data collection for many that rely on IES’s insights. Advance CTE recently joined a letter sharing significant concerns on this topic.
Entire offices, including the Office of Education Technology (OET) and the Office of Language Acquisition (OELA), have been closed, and many federal workers responsible for overseeing civil rights enforcement and student aid administration have also been reportedly laid off. ED has most recently sent a memo to states and postsecondary institutions indicating that this RIF will not impact ongoing operations overseen by ED, including efforts to administer and implement Perkins V. Read more details about the RIF here.
The RIF at ED comes after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo at the end of February that ordered federal agencies to submit large-scale reduction and reorganization plans by March 13, aiming to improve service while cutting workforce size, costs, and non-mandated functions. Agencies must provide implementation plans with greater detail by April 14, to be completed by September 30, including office relocations and future RIF targets. The memo suggests changes to collective bargaining but does not address legislative requirements for eliminating agencies or departments established by statute, like the Department of Education.
Advance CTE and the Association for Career Technical Education (ACTE) released a statement on the impact of Department of Education funding and staffing on Career Technical Education (CTE). Read the statement here. Advance CTE will continue to monitor changes in the federal workforce that will impact CTE and the broader education community.
House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on School Choice
Last week, the House Education & the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing titled “Education Without Limits: Exploring the Benefits of School Choice,” focusing on the potential advantages and challenges of implementing school choice policies nationwide. During the hearing, lawmakers discussed federal tax credit scholarships to empower parents and expand opportunities for families and state-level initiatives that could work with this federal effort. A key concern is the impact on public schools and students with disabilities, particularly in rural areas, where school voucher initiatives may not be feasible due to the lack of available private schools and programs that may not guarantee the same level of support services in a non-public school environment. The hearing comes amid a significant interest among Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration regarding school choice and related efforts to expand and support these policies at the federal level. Watch the hearing here.
White House Issues Public Service Loan Forgiveness Executive Order
Last week, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness” (PSLF) intended to refocus the program on its original intent and address perceived expansions of this program. The administration argues that the program is currently misaligned with its public service objectives and the Administration’s wider efforts to prevent federal support for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” activities. The administration has argued these aspects of PSFL potentially increase tuition costs and encourage unsustainable debt for academic studies in lower-demand fields.
Department of Labor Secretary Sworn In
Last week, Lori Chavez-DeRemer was confirmed as the next leader of the Department of Labor and sworn in as the next U.S. Secretary of Labor. DeRemer is a former member of Congress from Oregon and previously served as a local mayor prior to her nomination to lead DOL. In addition, the Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling to serve as Deputy Secretary of Labor. Sonderling, who will oversee the day-to-day operations and agency workforce at DOL, is a former Equal Opportunity Employment Commissioner and served as the Acting Administrator of the Wage & Hour Division for DOL under the first Trump administration.
Advance CTE is continuing to monitor the wider Senate confirmation process for many other Trump Administration nominees with relevance to CTE policymaking. Read the full announcement here.
