The Department of Education (DOE) was criticized after tweeting a strange image of Mrs. Puff from SpongeBob SquarePants to mark Teacher Appreciation Week, drawing outrage online.
The agency wrote, “Teachers are dedicated,” alongside an image of Mrs. Puff, the boating school instructor from SpongeBob SquarePants best known for repeatedly trying—and failing—to help SpongeBob pass his driving exam, depicted reading a book titled “MAGA.”
You can see the post and the meme below.
@usedgov/X
This MAGA twist is truly something considering what the DOE and Secretary Linda McMahon stand for.
Last year, McMahon was called out for hypocrisy when paying tribute to educators during Teacher Appreciation Week as she honors teachers on one hand and works to dismantle the DOE on the other.
McMahon has also demonstrated little understanding of the cuts to the department she oversees, including federal initiatives designed to support low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities in pursuing higher education.
Nonetheless, she continues to champion the broader effort to dismantle the DOE, actions that advocates say will be a detriment to students nationwide.
The post exposed the agency to heavy criticism almost immediately.
The Education Department's Spongebob meme fiasco comes as the publication Education Week reports the White House office responsible for overseeing federal spending is withholding more than $2 billion that Congress approved in February for over 30 K-12 and higher education programs.
Although lawmakers finalized a fiscal year 2026 budget for the U.S. Department of Education on Feb. 3, the funds cannot be distributed until the Office of Management and Budget formally apportions them into agency accounts, a step required by law.
More than seven months into the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, the OMB has released little or no funding for nearly three dozen Education Department competitive grant programs, according to a review of publicly available apportionment records.
Programs still waiting on current-year funding include $235 million for education research, $220 million for teacher preparation and training, $150 million for community schools initiatives, and $139 million for magnet schools.
