The administration’s proposal to move the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) from the Department of Education (DoE) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a dangerous step backward. IDEA is an education and civil rights law that assures a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities, a right earned over 50 years.
This move would replace the DoE’s specialized education law expertise with a medical or social services focus, effectively sidelining teaching and learning. It risks returning us to the dark period before IDEA, when children were denied public education and shunted to institutions. Special education oversight belongs with education experts, not health care administrators. Congress must protect this landmark law and reject the transfer, safeguarding the future of students with disabilities.
Peggy Van Sickle
Brighton
