Education advocates in Maine have joined a chorus of national organizations urging the Trump Administration not to transfer oversight of special ed programs away from the Department of Education.
The Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act, or IDEA, was originally enforced by the Department of Health and Human Services. But Carrie Woodcock, executive director at the Maine Parent Federation, said jurisdiction was moved to the Department of Education, which she said has done a good job of enforcement.
"They have an understanding for what it looks like on the ground in our schools, and can really ensure that the schools and states that are overseeing IDEA are doing it with fidelity and meeting the law where it's at," she said.
Woodcock said if oversight of IDEA is moved, the Maine Parent Federation will meet with the state's congressional delegation and encourage them to oppose the decision.
"Moving IDEA to DHHS would be like sending a student to the nurse's office for math instruction, and the nurse doesn't have the expertise and knowledge to provide that instruction," she said.
Woodcock said she fears the comprehensive knowledge of how the law works will be lost in the move and that without thorough oversight states could fall out of compliance.
