On June 16th, the Department of Education (ED) announced a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that includes plans to move the functions of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to HHS. OSEP administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which ensures that students with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education.

While coordination across federal programs serving individuals with disabilities is important, we believe special education should remain within the Department of Education. ED has the primary federal expertise in education policy, school-based systems, and student outcomes. Moving OSEP to HHS shifts oversight away from that expertise and risks weakening the connection between special education policy and the broader education system in which it operates.

Special education is fundamentally an education program. Its success depends on integration with general education, access to school-based supports, and policies informed by how students learn and educators teach.

Please contact your Elected Officials today!