Hundreds of employees in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) — including staff in both the Special Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services divisions — were laid off on Friday.
Without staff to administer and monitor the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the $15 billion in federal funding for special education may not reach the states, leaving millions of students without essential services and oversight. And if funding does, there will be no one to ensure that the money is being spent properly on children with special needs.
These actions undermine the legal mandate of IDEA, which guarantees every child a free and appropriate public education. Dismantling OSERS effectively dismantles federal special education oversight altogether.
Please send your letter to Linda McMahon, urging her to restore OSERS cuts immediately. She PROMISED to protect IDEA and the children it serves.