The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) has laid off 48 members of its education team, The 74, a nonprofit news organization focused on the U.S. education system, reports.

According to The 74, the layoffs are part of CZI’s restructuring efforts surrounding philanthropic grantmaking and funding of technology development, and all affected employees were offered the same severance package, which includes 16 weeks of base pay, continued health insurance, a $10,000 stipend, and a prorated portion of their 2023 bonus. Since 2015, CZI has awarded grants to nearly 1,000 education organizations working to aid teachers and remains among the largest education funders in the country. Recent recipients of CZI funding include Along, which facilitates one-on-one teacher-student conversations; Reach Every Reader, an initiative to develop evidence-based approaches to boost early literacy; and Equal Opportunity Schools, which partners with schools and districts to create research-based surveys to help educators better understand students’ strengths and barriers to success.

“Over the past eight years, we have learned a great deal about how to equip educators with the research, tools, and partners they need to center students’ well-being in support of academic achievement and success,” said CZI spokesperson Raymonde Charles in a statement. “Guided by insights from our grantees, research, and educators, our work in education continues to evolve, and the structure of our teams has changed as a result. We remain committed to helping educators give every student exactly what they need to thrive inside the classroom and beyond.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Drazen Zigic)