DOGE protesters outside the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., March 11, 2025.
The draft order says the "the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families."
Trump has long talked about dismantling the Department of Education, saying it has failed America's students.
"It’s a big con job," the president said in November. "They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department, cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40."
SC SUPERINTENDENT BACKS TRUMP EDUCATION PLAN: 'FEDERAL SHACKLES FOR FAR TOO LONG'
The U.S. Department of Education building Aug. 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
Another former federal employee at the rally told Fox News Digital that "seeing all these employees laid off right now breaks our heart," and "we really have to speak up for what's been done to the federal government."
One of the rally speakers, Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, pointed out that, on its own, the Trump administration does not have the authority to close the Education Department. Fully abolishing the department would require 60 votes in the Senate, requiring cooperation from Democrats.
Pringle told Fox News Digital her group is organizing a series of national walk-in protests for March 19 to hold Congress members "accountable."
HOUSE EDUCATION CHAIR BACKS TRUMP MOVE TO ABOLISH FEDERAL AGENCY
Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, speaks with Fox News Digital outside the Education Department March 11, 2025. (Peter Pinedo/Fox News Digital)
"Educators all over this country are rising up, and they're saying, no. … We will not stand by while this administration focuses on giving tax cuts to billionaires who already have more, when we know our students need more," said Pringle.
Speaking directly to Trump and Musk, Katie Gates, an activist with the political activism group Voters of Tomorrow, told Fox News Digital her message to the administration is, "Please stop. Just don’t do it."
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"You might think that you're making government more efficient, or you're getting rid of the deep state or whatever. But, like I said, this has far-ranging impacts on kids, on parents, on communities, on schools," she said. "Sometimes efficiency isn’t the highest value. Sometimes it's support. Sometimes it's learning."
Fox News Digital reporter Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doge-protesters-rally-outside-key-department-after-employees-told-not-report-work-wednesday