While President Donald Trump doubles into his promise to close the United States Department of Education, ramifications for students with disabilities could be severe, defenders say.
Trump says that the Department of Education is the next objective in the efforts of its administration to eliminate waste spending. Recent reports indicate that the White House is Considering an executive order Designed to dismantle the department and the president, who said he wants to close the agency, he told reporters that he is addressed Linda McMahon, his nominated for the Secretary of Education, “took a job.”
While experts say that closing the agency would require an act of Congress, defenders warn that any effort to weaken the Department of Education could have a huge impact on the 7.5 million students of Special Education of the Nation.
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“We have a deep concern as we see or listen to anything that assures us that the administration understands and intends to carry out its obligation to protect our children or understand that (the Department of Education) has the obligation to ensure that our children obtain the services and supports. their families.
While federal laws that include the Law of Education internally with disabilities and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Law guarantee students with disabilities certain rights in schools, the Department of Education plays an important role to ensure that these are implemented Laws.
“The interaction of federal laws that serve and protect our children is complex, there must be expert personnel who work to carry out the statute requirements,” said Marshall. “Delive idea duties other than the Secretary of Education and the Law obliges the Department to provide supervision, technical assistance and more so that states can fulfill their obligation to provide a free and appropriate public education to each student with disabilities.”
Dan Stewart, Managing Lawyer for Education and Employment in the National Disabled Rights Network, said that the idea, section 504 and the American law with disabilities were created by Congress and will remain in force, regardless of any executive order, but The president has some capacity. to prioritize the use of certain funds.
Stewart said he is concerned that the Trump administration can be looking at changes that would affect federal funds to hire, train or retain school staff, for example.
“Without adequate personnel, students with disabilities will not be able to access federal mandatory support and services,” he said.
The Education Department channels billions in federal funds to states for special education each year and supervises the services ranging from early intervention for young children with disabilities to the vocational rehabilitation system. In addition, defenders point out that the agency has a unique role in ensuring that the civil rights of students with disabilities are protected.
“We must recognize that students with disabilities, such as autism, deserve the same opportunities to succeed as their classmates, and that specialized educational support is not a luxury, but a right,” said Christopher Banks, president and CEO of society of autism of the Autism Society of America. “Eliminating federal supervision could undermine accessibility, equity and inclusion, leaving students vulnerable to disparities in quality education and long -term opportunities.”
