Education Flashcards
Special education experts worry about students with disabilities post-Education Department - USA Today; March 2025
President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education has raised significant concerns about the future of special education and the legal rights of students with disabilities. While Trump stated that services for students with disabilities would be “fully preserved” and responsibilities would transfer to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), experts and advocates are alarmed by the lack of clarity. The Department of Education has long overseen implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that 7.5 million children with disabilities receive free, appropriate public education through tools like Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
The Education Department has also been responsible for dispersing over $15 billion annually in federal special education funding and ensuring it is spent appropriately by states. Advocates like Daniel Pearson worry that, under HHS, funding might become block grants with fewer accountability measures. Representative Jahana Hayes warned that local communities may have to raise taxes or cut other services to meet legal obligations if federal oversight weakens. This uncertainty has left families and educators anxious about how—and if—vital services will be maintained.
Civil rights enforcement is another area in jeopardy. The Department’s Office for Civil Rights has handled discrimination complaints on behalf of students with disabilities. That work was paused when Trump took office, briefly resumed, and then was severely undercut by layoffs of 243 staff members. Advocacy groups like the National Center for Youth Law have filed lawsuits, warning that failing to investigate such complaints is a betrayal of students and families who depend on these protections.
Additionally, the administration has dismantled the Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm responsible for collecting data and conducting national studies on special education. This loss of research capacity alarms experts like Carrie Gillispie, who argues that without consistent federal data, inequities between states will worsen. Families may face inconsistent levels of support simply based on where they live. With enforcement, funding, and research all in flux, many fear that dismantling the Department of Education will jeopardize the rights and services that students with disabilities rely on across the nation.
What dismantling the Department of Education could mean for Texas students - Texas Standard; March 2025
President Trump, joined by Republican governors including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, announced an executive order to effectively dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, describing it as a “failed experiment” and “bloated bureaucracy.” While the department can’t be fully eliminated without congressional approval, the order has already shuttered offices and triggered mass layoffs—cutting thousands of employees who handled civil rights complaints, special education oversight, and federal education data collection. Supporters of the move praised it as a return of control to the states, but educators and advocates warn of major disruptions, especially in states like Texas.
David DeMatthews, an education policy professor at the University of Texas at Austin, emphasized the negative implications for Texas, a state with a history of struggling to implement federal education laws. He said dismantling the department without a clear plan will harm low-income students, students with disabilities, and homeless youth—groups the department historically protected. Although the administration claims programs like Title I and IDEA will remain intact and potentially be transferred to agencies like Health and Human Services, DeMatthews calls that misleading. The department’s recent layoffs have already halted key functions like civil rights enforcement and data collection critical to funding decisions.
He also criticized the administration’s lack of transparency and strategy, noting that the new education secretary, Linda McMahon—a former WWE CEO—has overseen massive cuts within weeks. The department doesn’t run public schools or control most education funding, but it provides essential services and oversight for vulnerable populations. With data collection halted and no replacement systems announced, DeMatthews warned that the country is now “flying blind” on how to allocate federal resources effectively.
While some argue the changes are just administrative, DeMatthews insists they are far more consequential. Federal protections for students with disabilities, civil rights enforcement, and accountability mechanisms are now in limbo. He stresses that the Department of Education has helped enforce critical laws over the decades and that many Americans, if asked directly, would support continuing federal programs for special education and low-income students. What’s most alarming, he says, is not just what’s being cut—but that it’s being done hastily, with no plan to ensure protections and oversight continue.
