ILLINOIS (KFVS) – After the Education Department announced half of its workforce would be cut in half on Tuesday, leaders in one Heartland state are speaking out about the layoffs.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded after learning this action would not only eliminate the jobs of thousands of employees but also terminate the lease for the Chicago office:

“Donald Trump is failing the test of leadership again,” Gov. Pritzker said in a statement. “Instead of proposing any plans to improve math and reading scores for students, he’s tearing down the Department of Education and making it harder for working-class kids to get ahead.”

The Illinois Education Association president Al Llorens also shared a similar sentiment:

“The U.S. Department of Education (USED) was founded to help realize the promise of a quality public school for every student no matter where they live, the color of their skin or how much money their family makes. It does not dictate what schools teach kids or how they educate them. It is part of the fabric that is public education in the United States and it is public education that works as the great equalizer for our country. Dismantling USED and firing up to 50 percent of its employees will have a profound effect on schools in Illinois.”

Some of the programs that could be impacted include Title 1 funds set aside to help impoverished students, funding for disabled children through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Pell grants to help students in need afford a college education and Head Start–which is designed to support children’s growth from birth to age 5 through services centered around early learning and development.

“Cutting USED will be deeply harmful to Illinois students and our communities. Ninety percent of the students in our state attend public schools and 95 percent of students with disabilities are students within our buildings,” Lloren said in a statement. “Making broad-based cuts like those ordered today doesn’t affect faceless bureaucrats, it affects our kids. We will fight this action. As the largest educator organization in Illinois, it is our mission to do so.”

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