Nearly all staff from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) were dismissed during reduction-in-force actions that began Oct. 10, as part of broader government shutdown layoffs. The cuts represent a devastating blow to federal oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which ensures free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities.
According to union officials and education department sources, the layoffs have left only the two most senior staff members in OSEP and just one staff member in the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
“Based on multiple reports from staff and their managers, we believe that all remaining staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), including the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA), have been illegally fired,” said Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, a union that represents many Education Department employees, told NPR.
The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) expressed confusion and concern about the staffing changes in a Sunday statement, noting that informal reports indicate the federal special education workforce has been virtually eliminated.
“NASDSE is confused and concerned by these staffing decisions. The Department has repeatedly said it supports – and will continue to support – funding and implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and special education for children with disabilities. The Department has also repeatedly said it would fulfill all statutory obligations. These RIFs, if true, will make it impossible for the Department to fulfill those responsibilities. There is significant risk that not only will Federal funding lapse, but children with disabilities will be deprived of a free appropriate public education (FAPE).”
A Justice Department court filing revealed that more than 460 Education Department employees were laid off, representing approximately 20% of the agency’s already reduced workforce. The department had previously shrunk by nearly half earlier this year through buyouts, early retirements, and voluntary separations.
The eliminated positions were crucial for administering IDEA, which provides approximately $15 billion annually in federal funding for special education services.
The cuts affect oversight of services for 7.5 million students with disabilities, who receive individualized education programs and related services under IDEA. These students include those with specific learning disabilities), speech or language impairments, autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances.
The layoffs have effectively dismantled the federal infrastructure that ensures states comply with special education laws and provide technical assistance to school districts. OSEP and OSERS traditionally:
- Monitor state compliance with IDEA requirements
- Provide technical assistance to states and local school districts
- Administer discretionary grants for personnel development and research
- Oversee parent training and information centers
- Ensure civil rights enforcement for students with disabilities
Without federal oversight, advocates warn that states may reduce services or revert to restrictive practices that isolate students with disabilities from their peers.
The timing of the layoffs, occurring during the school year, has created urgent operational challenges. State directors and local school administrators report uncertainty about:
- Continuation of federal funding streams
- Technical assistance for compliance issues
- Resolution of disputes between families and schools
- Oversight of state implementation of IDEA requirements
The federal role in special education was established following decades of exclusion and discrimination against students with disabilities. Before IDEA’s enactment in 1975, hundreds of thousands of children with disabilities were denied access to public education or were segregated from their peers.
The Department of Education has served as the primary enforcer of these protections since 1979, using federal funding leverage to ensure state compliance.
