The Big Picture: What’s Happening Now

If you’ve heard that the federal government has cut or fired key staff in the U.S. Department of Education, you might wonder — why should parents care?

Because this department doesn’t just run programs. It enforces laws — laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that protect millions of children with disabilities across the United States.

When those federal oversight offices lose people and power, families lose their safety net.
And when oversight disappears, rights become optional.

What Is IDEA, and Why Was It Created?

Before IDEA, children with disabilities were regularly excluded from public education.
In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) — later renamed IDEA — after discovering that more than 1.75 million children with disabilities were not being educated in public schools at all.

IDEA changed everything. It guaranteed:

• The right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) tailored to each child’s needs

• Education in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

• Procedural safeguards for parents to challenge violations

It wasn’t just a law — it was a civil rights promise.

The Funding Promise That Was Never Kept

When Congress passed IDEA, it promised that the federal government would pay 40% of the additional cost of educating students with disabilities.

That funding was meant to ensure that states and schools could afford special education services — like speech therapy, occupational therapy, aides, and specialized instruction — without shifting the burden to families.

But that 40% promise? It’s never been met.

According to the National Council on Disability’s report “Broken Promises: The Underfunding of IDEA”, the federal government currently funds only about 13–14% of those costs. The rest comes from state and local budgets — which means children’s services often depend on where they live, not what they need.

That shortfall represents billions of dollars every year that should have gone into classrooms, equipment, and teachers.

Why the Department of Education Matters

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) was created in 1979 to make sure all students — including those with disabilities — had equal access to quality education.

Within it sits the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and its branch, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). These are the watchdogs that:

• Ensure states follow federal IDEA regulations

• Investigate complaints and enforce corrective actions

• Monitor whether federal funds are used appropriately

• Collect national data on student progress and compliance

When this office is defunded or hollowed out, states lose accountability, and families lose the one federal agency tasked with ensuring equal treatment under the law.

Without OSEP, IDEA becomes a car with no driver — technically intact, but going nowhere.

 What Happens Without Federal Oversight

If the Department of Education or OSEP loses its authority or staff, several things happen quickly:

1️⃣ Uneven enforcement: Some states will continue doing the right thing; others may quietly cut corners.
2️⃣ Delayed services: With fewer investigators, complaints take longer to resolve.
3️⃣ Weaker accountability: Districts can ignore timelines and service requirements with little consequence.
4️⃣ Funding risks: If there’s no federal monitoring, Congress could withhold or freeze IDEA grants altogether.

In short, without oversight, families are left to self-police their schools — and history has shown that doesn’t work.

A Short History of IDEA Funding and Oversight

For nearly 50 years, federal oversight has been the backbone that ensures IDEA remains more than just good intentions — it’s the reason families can file complaints, states can be investigated, and children receive specialized services.

Why States Aren’t Ready to Go It Alone

Some argue that states could manage special education on their own.
Here’s the truth: most can’t — at least not equitably.

According to the Brookings Institution, in 2020, federal IDEA funding covered about 23% of the additional cost of special education in Wyoming but only 11% in Nevada.

That’s a massive gap

States vary widely in their laws, funding systems, teacher shortages, and political will. Without federal oversight, a child’s access to services could depend on whether their governor believes in inclusive education — not on their needs or rights.

Imagine Arizona cutting oversight while Massachusetts expands it. Two kids, same disability, two entirely different outcomes. That’s not equality — that’s chaos.

 Why IDEA Is Still Needed Today

Even with federal law in place, parents still fight for services every day.
We still see delayed evaluations, missing therapies, untrained aides, and IEP goals that never get implemented.

If this is what happens with oversight, imagine what could happen without it.

IDEA isn’t outdated — it’s unfinished.
The promise remains powerful, but the system needs reinforcement, not dismantling.

What You Can Do

1️⃣ Contact your members of Congress.
Tell them to protect and fully fund IDEA, and to restore staffing and oversight within the Department of Education.

2️⃣ Spread awareness.
Share this blog. Tell five friends what’s happening. Post about it on your social media with the hashtag #ProtectIDEA.

3️⃣ Join the movement.
The Raising Voices Coalition is uniting parents, educators, and advocates to make sure every child — in every state — continues to receive the education they deserve.

Visit RaisingVoicesCoalition.com to get involved.

IDEA was built because states once failed our children. It’s needed today because inequity still exists — and because without oversight, history will repeat itself.

We can’t let that happen.
Our children’s education is not up for negotiation.
Let’s get loud, get organized, and protect the promise that started in 1975 — the promise that every child, regardless of ability, deserves the chance to learn, grow, and thrive.

 References

• U.S. Department of Education: The Federal Role in Education

• National Council on Disability: Broken Promises: The Underfunding of IDEA

• Congressional Research Service: IDEA Part B and Funding Reports

• The Arc: Federal Special Education Offices Hollowed Out

• Brookings Institution: More Money Is Not Enough

• NEA: Fulfill the Promise of IDEA