WASHINGTON — Proposed layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have alarmed disability advocates and Democratic lawmakers over the impact on millions of students with disabilities.
Advocates caution that the department cannot fulfill its special education mandates at staffing levels suggested by President Donald Trump’s reduction in force, or RIF.
The agency is considering a transfer of special education programs to another department.
“If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that the fight is just beginning,” Rachel Gittleman, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, told States Newsroom.
Earlier this month, Trump’s administration further reduced the department during the government shutdown, affecting key units serving students with disabilities. These offices manage $15 billion in grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and oversee disability discrimination complaints.
While a federal judge has temporarily blocked the layoffs, this relief is only short-term.
The administration planned to lay off 465 employees, including 121 from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), 132 from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), and 137 from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Gittleman emphasized that the civil rights office is vital for families seeking help when students face education access issues due to disabilities.
These units had already faced layoffs earlier this year.
Parents as advocates
Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc of the United States, highlighted that while IDEA remains unchanged, the enforcement of children’s rights has weakened. OSERS manages IDEA, ensuring free public education for students with disabilities for 50 years.
“You take away the knowledge of the folks at the U.S. Department of Education at the Office of Special Education Programs,” Neas told States Newsroom.
During the 2022-2023 school year, 7.5 million U.S. students received services under IDEA, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Neas urged parents to understand their rights and insist on legal compliance.
‘Flabbergasted’
Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO at the National Center for Learning Disabilities, stated that the RIFs would make it “impossible” for the Office of Special Education Programs to meet its legal duties.
Rodriguez expressed surprise over the layoffs, contrasting them with Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s assurances to support students with disabilities.
After layoff notices, McMahon downplayed the shutdown’s impact on social media, stating schools continue to operate normally.
Rodriguez criticized McMahon, saying her post indicates a belief that the “status quo is perfectly reasonable.”
Congressional Dems fiercely oppose cuts
Democratic lawmakers voiced concern over the department RIFs in letters to the administration. Reps. Lucy McBath, Mark DeSaulnier, and Lateefah Simon led House Democrats in a letter opposing the layoffs.
In another letter to McMahon, 31 Senate Democrats criticized the layoffs, led by Sen. Patty Murray alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
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