US EditionFederal Staff Layoffs Impact Special Education Oversight, Enforcement Rights
The proposed layoffs would cut 465 staff supporting special education, risking enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for 7.5 million students, advocates say.
- Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education proposed mass layoffs that alarmed disability advocates and Democratic lawmakers, including cuts to OSERS, OESE, and OCR.
- The department's leadership signaled support for returning education functions to states, prompting the reduction in force as advocates warn it cuts federal roles and may transfer special education programs.
- During the 2022-2023 school year, 7.5 million students received services under IDEA, which is overseen by OSERS managing $15 billion in grants, advocates say.
- A federal judge temporarily blocked the layoffs, but legal proceedings are ongoing; House Democrats led by Lucy McBath and 31 Senate Democrats urged rescinding termination notices this month.
- Advocates warn the cuts would prevent the department from fulfilling statutory obligations, saying proposed staffing levels would cripple monitoring and compliance, as disability organizations and parents mobilize to fight illegal firings.
30 Articles
30 Articles
US Education Department layoffs illegally burden students with disabilities, critics say
A boy plays with a wooden numbers puzzle. Sensory exercises like this are often used in special education classrooms. (Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Proposed mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have raised alarm among disability advocates and Democratic lawmakers over the potential impact on millions of students with disabilities. Advocates warn that the department cannot carry out its legally mandated functions for special education s…
WPSD Local 6
Federal staff layoffs impact special education oversight, enforcement rights
Almost all federal staff overseeing special education have been laid off, leaving schools and families uncertain about how student rights will be enforced under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Nebraska Examiner
Education Department layoffs illegally burden students with disabilities, advocates say
A boy plays with a wooden numbers puzzle. Sensory exercises like this are often used in special education classrooms. (Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Proposed mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have raised alarm among disability advocates and Democratic lawmakers over the potential impact on millions of students with disabilities. Advocates warn that the department cannot carry out its legally mandated functions for special education s…
HHS Could Soon Be Responsible for Special Education Programs
WASHINGTON -- In a move that has sparked widespread discussion and concern, the Department of Education is in the preliminary stages of possibly transitioning the oversight of federal special education programs to another agency. This decision follows the recent layoffs of nearly the entire special education division, bringing uncertainty to the future of these crucial programs. Proposed Transition of Special Education Programs to the Department…
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