The future of special education is under immediate and serious threat. The Trump Administration is moving aggressively to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education — a move that would have devastating consequences for students with disabilities and the rights and services they rely on under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 

In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin shutting down the Department and transferring authority over education to the states. This was followed by an attempt to lay off nearly 50% of the Department’s staff — including many career experts who oversee IDEA, provide technical assistance to states, enforce civil rights, and conduct critical research. On July 14, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s stay, allowing these layoffs to proceed while legal challenges are still underway.  The Administration has also cut $900 million from essential education programs, including research and teacher training and “froze” $7 billion that was supposed to go to schools on July 1, 2025. In addition to attempting to eliminate the Department entirely, the Administration has put forward proposals to: 

Eliminate or consolidate key IDEA programs, including preschool grants and parent training centers and send the funding to states without requiring how the funds will be used; and 

Transfer special education functions to the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) — an agency with no core expertise or infrastructure for supporting students in K–12 education. 

Moving special education oversight to HHS would severely fragment services and weaken enforcement of students’ educational rights. HHS is not designed to support K–12 education, and such a shift would make it far harder to coordinate programs, monitor compliance with IDEA, or support inclusive educational practices. 

These proposals would: 

Eliminate the federal infrastructure that supports innovation, capacity building, and full access across states for children with disabilities; 

Undercut IDEA’s commitment to early childhood education;

Undermine federal enforcement of civil rights in education;

Create confusion and reduce accountability across agencies; and

Severely weaken support for students with disabilities and their families.

TAKE ACTION NOW 

Congress must act to stop this dangerous dismantling of the Department of Education and the fragmentation of special education services. 

Tell your U.S. Senators and Representatives to: 

(1) Vote NO on any legislation to abolish the U.S. Department of Education; 

(2) Oppose any proposal to block grant IDEA or remove federal oversight of special education funding 

(3) Reject efforts to transfer special education programs to the Department of Health & Human Services or any other agency without education expertise; and 

(4) Protect the integrity of IDEA and the civil rights of students with disabilities. 

Why It Matters: 
The U.S. Department of Education plays a vital role in ensuring students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education, as required by federal law. It provides funding, technical assistance, monitoring, and enforcement. Dismantling this system would roll back decades of progress and leave millions of students vulnerable. Your voice is critical. Contact Congress today. Urge them to protect the Department of Education, defend IDEA, and ensure students with disabilities continue to receive the services, protections, and opportunities they are entitled to by law. 

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.