Congress: Conduct Oversight Hearings to Protect Children with Disabilities and IDEA

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Congress Must Conduct Oversight Hearings, Protect Children with Disabilities, Protect IDEA

Sweeping layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have gutted key offices—including the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Programs (which includes special education and rehabilitation services), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)—threatening decades of progress in protecting students with disabilities.

These wholesale terminations place fundamental education laws in peril and place millions of children with disabilities at risk who receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Secretary’s actions are directly in conflict with the Department’s statutory required duties to provide fiscal oversight, monitoring, compliance, provision of technical assistance, and more to states; and such changes have not been approved by Congress.

Given this and recent reports of the Department beginning efforts to shift responsibilities under IDEA to other agencies, immediate oversight by Congress is essential.

Tell Congress to conduct oversight hearings. The public deserves to learn how the Secretary plans to fulfill the Department’s full obligations under IDEA and other authorized disability laws.

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Congress: Conduct Oversight Hearings, Protect Children with Disabilities, Protect IDEA

Actions at the US Dept. of Ed are in conflict with statutory requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other laws. Such changes have not been approved by Congress. We need oversight hearings to protect children now.

US Congress

Subject: Congress Must Conduct Oversight Hearings, Protect Students with Disabilities

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I am a parent/advocate/individual with a disability and am writing to urge you to immediately request that Congress conduct oversight hearings of the Executive Branch as soon as possible. I join with the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and 60 national organizations which formally requested the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) and the House Education and Workforce Committee to investigate actions taken by the Administration to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Recent layoffs have decimated state and family access to programming and technical assistance essential to the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other key education and disability laws. As you know, these laws serve hundreds of thousands of children, youth, and young adults in our schools and through vocational rehabilitation. Families rely upon the essential protections that ensure their children can access a free, appropriate public education. The cuts made at ED have gutted the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (which includes special education and rehabilitation services), the Office for Civil Rights, and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. And, the Secretary of Education has stated publicly that plans are underway to move IDEA to another federal agency. Taken together, these actions absolutely threaten decades of progress in protecting educational access and opportunity for all individuals with disabilities. This year marks the 50th anniversary of IDEA, which has enjoyed strong bipartisan support for five decades. As we celebrate incredible progress for many students with disabilities, we find ourselves facing an unimaginable crisis: the dismantling of the very infrastructure Congress created to ensure children with disabilities could reach their full potential. If these actions are carried out it will catapult students with disabilities back to a time of segregation and refusal to provide educational opportunities. You must not let the Executive Branch destabilize the infrastructure, support and education programs that ensure children can receive the early intervention, specialized education, accommodations, access to assistive technology, and other supports they need to achieve. Please protect children with disabilities and request Congressional oversight hearings. I am counting on you to stand with every child with a disability and their family.

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