Students with disabilities need education experts—Not HHS

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has moved the $15 billion Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) program, which supports students with disabilities, out of the Department of Education as part of its effort to dismantle the agency. As part of this restructuring, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), which provides federal leadership and oversight for IDEA implementation, has also been affected by sweeping staff reductions and the transfer of IDEA responsibilities to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The administration has also transferred the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces students' disability, education, and civil rights protections, to the Department of Justice, raising concerns about the future coordination and enforcement of federal protections for students with disabilities.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:

"Fifty years ago, with the passage of IDEA, America made a promise to students with disabilities and their families: that they would have full access to education and every opportunity to reach their full potential. Unprecedented upheaval to this program will be costly, chaotic, and put students at risk of falling through the cracks.

"Moving IDEA out of the Department of Education is not an administrative adjustment-it is an attack on the educational and civil rights foundation of the law. It would drag us backward by treating disability as a medical issue instead of an educational right and by unraveling decades of progress. The Department of Education is the only federal agency with the expertise, infrastructure, and specialists needed to protect students' rights and ensure they receive the services they are guaranteed. Relocating the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice as part of this scheme would further erode federal oversight and endanger disability-rights enforcement nationwide.

"Handing IDEA to HHS-an agency without deep experience in education or civil rights enforcement-puts students' protections at serious risk and abandons families who rely on federal experts to navigate a complex system. HHS has no history of safeguarding the rights of students with disabilities or addressing their educational needs. Moving IDEA would leave families and students with fewer answers, fewer resources, and fewer avenues for justice.

"In the 50 years since IDEA's passage, we have not yet made good on our promise to students and their families, but we have made incredible progress-progress that is now at risk.

"No one should be forced to fight these battles alone. Keep IDEA where it belongs, reverse the staffing cuts, and fully fund the services students need and deserve."

###

The National Education Association is the nation's largest labor union, representing nearly 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.