Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it will transfer several of the Education Department’s core offices—including those overseeing civil rights and special education programs—to other federal agencies. This marks one of the administration’s biggest steps toward shuttering the department.
In response, Weadé James, senior director for K-12 Education Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The Trump administration’s plan to scatter special education and school-related civil rights protections across other agencies is a devastating blow to America’s 49.5 million public education students. And for 7.5 million children with disabilities, it compromises the integration mandate within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, returning the focus to defining children by deficits rather than potential.
Shifting these responsibilities to other understaffed federal departments and agencies that are drastically less qualified to administer public education services will trigger administrative chaos, compromise the enforcement of antidiscrimination laws, and jeopardize billions in funding meant to support children with disabilities. This unprecedented reorganization violates congressional mandates and will undermine the foundations of our educational equity.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Mishka Espey at [email protected].