1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I write to you today deeply concerned about the proposed move of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) oversight from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This misguided decision threatens to undermine decades of progress in ensuring students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. Removing IDEA from the Department of Education, which has cultivated expertise and resources specifically for supporting students with disabilities in educational settings, risks stigmatizing these students as solely medical concerns. Their needs extend far beyond just healthcare - they require specialized instructional approaches, accommodations, and an understanding of how to foster an inclusive learning environment. Educators are best positioned to administer these vital services effectively. Furthermore, dispersing the limited special education staff and resources currently at the Department of Education across the much larger HHS bureaucracy raises serious doubts about maintaining sufficient oversight and enforcement of IDEA's mandates. We have already witnessed an alarming decline in the Department's capacity to investigate disability discrimination complaints due to widespread staffing cuts. I urge you to firmly oppose any efforts to dismantle the Department of Education's responsibility for IDEA implementation. Students with disabilities deserve to have their educational rights championed by the agency specifically tasked with protecting all students' access to public education. Upholding IDEA's integrity within the Department of Education is critical to ensuring no child is deprived of their fundamental right to learn.