President Trump has signed an Executive Order (EO) to direct Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States.” This EO follows Secretary McMahon’s recent purge of nearly 50% of the Department of Education’s workforce, many of whom were career employees with deep-seated expertise who provide technical assistance to states, protect the rights of students, conduct critical research and oversee the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Around $900 million has also been cut from important research, teacher training, and other critical programs. These actions will have very negative consequences for students, educators, and the future of our education system, and especially for students with disabilities. 

The Department of Education (the Department) plays a critical role in implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. It also enforces the civil rights of students with disabilities and investigates patterns of discrimination within individual states and across the country. Additionally, the Department provides billions of dollars to states and local school districts to serve students with disabilities and for critically important programs such as technical assistance centers on topics like positive behavior supports, universal design for learning, and for inclusive higher education programs for students with intellectual disabilities. The role and critical functions of the U.S. Department of Education have been misrepresented by many outlets. Please learn the facts here and then contact your Representatives and Senators.   

Fully abolishing the Department of Education will require Congress to pass legislation. Proposals are also being considered in Congress to amend IDEA and “block grant” the funding. This would funnel IDEA money directly to states and local school districts with no federal oversight and states would be free to use the funds for other unrelated purposes instead of for students with disabilities. Block granting could result in the loss of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and civil rights protections under the IDEA, which would have very negative consequences for students with disabilities. Other proposals would distribute the Department’s offices across multiple federal agencies which would make it harder to coordinate efforts between programs that serve students with disabilities. NDSC opposes any proposals to dismantle the Department, distribute its offices among other federal agencies, or block grant IDEA.   

ASK: We need Congress to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education and vote NO on any legislation that would abolish the Department of Education, distribute it among other federal agencies, or block grant IDEA.