Office of Special Education needs to be protected, not dismantled

The federal government is systematically dismantling the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services — laying off most of its staff, eliminating leadership positions, and gutted the office that enforces IDEA and supports students with disabilities. These actions aren’t theoretical; they end grant reviews, interrupt oversight, and strip away the infrastructure that ensures equal access to education. These cuts are not minor “budget adjustments.” They transform the federal role in special education into a shell. Key duties — compliance, technical assistance, accountability — cannot be performed if the office has no staff, no continuity, and no resources. Congress mandated these protections: they are not optional. Removing them betrays every student with a disability who depends on federal oversight to enforce their rights. Every representative must act now. Demand that this office be fully restored, that all dismissed staff be rehired, and that no core function be erased or transferred without clear guarantees. Push for emergency funding that re-staffs the office and re-empowers it to enforce IDEA, rather than letting states bear the burden alone. Fight legislation or budget resolutions that would hollow out this mission-critical entity. If this goes unchallenged, we’re not just underfunding special education — we are abolishing the federal safety net that holds districts accountable, protecting children when local systems fail. This is a betrayal of vulnerable kids, of fairness, and of what we, as taxpayers, demand: that our government protect the rights of those who can’t do it alone. Send this message. Call your representative. Make them choose where they stand. The Office of Special Education exists because kids need it. Removing it is not cost-cutting — it’s surrendering on their future.