National Education advocates are sounding the alarm on the effect U.S. Department of Education staffing cuts will have on children with disabilities.
A federal judge temporarily paused the department's decision to lay off nearly everyone in its special education division earlier this week but Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc, a nonprofit advocacy group, said the very attempt to dismantle the individuals with disabilities act is concerning.
"The reason we have a special education law is because prior to IDEA millions of children with disabilities were denied an education. States would not educate them. They thought that they weren't worthy of an education," Neas said.
Neas said children with disabilities have been able to attend their neighborhood school for the last 50 years and could lose that access without federal support.
Sarah Wilkinson, Maine Education Association member, said 20% of Maine’s K-12 students receive special education services and any cuts will directly impact students and their families.
Becky Pringle, National Education Association president, said without federal support, children with disabilities could lose access to public education.
"The alarm we are sounding is that it isn't just bureaucratic neglect, it's a deliberate rollback to a darker time when Americans with disabilities were denied access opportunity and dignity before idea," Pringle said.
Pringle said more burden will now fall to the states to fulfill obligations to students with disabilities.
