As you have probably heard, over the holiday weekend the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) – the federal agency responsible for implementing and overseeing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – was effectively wiped out.
Fewer than a handful of people remain to distribute and oversee more than $15 billion in IDEA funds and nearly 500 federal grants that support parents, educators, assistive technology, and technical assistance across the country.
This office is not optional. OSEP is how Congress fulfills its promise to children with disabilities – providing oversight, ensuring compliance, and guaranteeing every child’s right to a free and appropriate public education. Dismantling it jeopardizes decades of progress and leaves millions of families and educators without critical guidance or accountability.
Please share this information widely and urge your legislators to demand that the Department of Education immediately restore the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The future of special education – and the students and families it serves – depends on swift action.
You can use or adapt the letter below to contact your representatives today.
PDF of SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR LEGISLATURE – RESTORE OSEP STAFFING
Dear ,
I am writing with grave concern about the future of special education. Over the holiday weekend, the Department of Education terminated nearly all staff within the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Special education is not a discretionary program – it is a federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enacted by Congress fifty years ago next month. The move to dismantle OSEP threatens the very foundation of that law by eliminating the capacity to conduct oversight, ensure compliance, support parents and teachers, and provide technical assistance.
Without swift action to reverse these mass layoffs, children with disabilities across the nation will feel the impact almost immediately. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure that IDEA is implemented faithfully and that federal protections for students with disabilities remain intact.
I urge your office to press the Department of Education to restore OSEP’s staffing and capacity without delay. The 15% of American students who receive special education services – and the educators who serve them – depend on your leadership to safeguard their rights and their futures.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Please let me know if there is any way I can support your office’s efforts on behalf of children with disabilities and their families.
Thank you for your continued advocacy. I’ve shared your post and written. If only Congress would stand up to the executive branch.
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