The Supreme Court just allowed President Trump’s plan to lay off more than 1,300 Education Department employees — gutting an agency created by Congress, without any vote or legal mandate to do so.

A federal judge ruled that the administration’s real goal is to “effectively dismantle the department” in violation of the law. While the Supreme Court chose not to block the plan, the legal battle is far from over — and the damage is already underway.

If Congress allows this to stand, the damage could be permanent. Critical federal education programs — from student loans to special education to school funding equity — are being hollowed out by executive order. Even worse, it sets a terrifying precedent: that a president can kill an agency by firing its staff, with no debate, no vote, and no accountability.

We urge Congress to act immediately — to hold hearings, stop further layoffs, and protect the constitutional role it alone holds: writing the laws and funding the programs that keep our education system running. No president should be able to erase decades of bipartisan policy with the stroke of a pen.

This isn’t just about government process. It’s about every student who depends on federal support, every teacher who relies on data and funding, and every family that believes in equal opportunity through education.

Congress must step in — before it’s too late.

Photo: Bryan Dozier/AFP via Getty Images