It was not immediately clear which—or how many—of IES’ hundreds of contracts are affected. A statement from the American Education Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics put the number at 169.
“This is an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars, which have been invested—per Congressional appropriations and many according to specific legislation—in long-standing data collection and analysis efforts, and policy and program evaluations,” Tofig said. “These investments inform the entire education system at all levels about the condition of education and the distribution of students, teachers, and resources in school districts across America. Many of these contracts are nearing completion and canceling them now yields the taxpayers no return on their investment. If the purpose of such cuts is to make sure taxpayer dollars are not wasted and used well, the evaluation and data work that has been terminated is exactly the work that determines which programs are effective uses of federal dollars, and which are not.”
In response to questions about the move, a department spokeswoman referred to a social media post from DOGE—the nickname for Musk’s department of government efficiency—touting cuts to Education Department contracts, including for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, appears to be the latest agency in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency office.
Dozens of researchers and contractors received notices Feb. 10, directing them to immediately stop work on research projects and program evaluations financed by IES, a federal agency with a roughly $800 million budget, sources say.
Connect the Dots 101 
Leave a comment