"Sweeping layoffs announced Friday by the Trump administration landed another body blow to the U.S. Department of Education, this time gutting the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department. The reduction-in-force, or RIF, affects the dozens of staff responsible for roughly $15 billion dollars in special education funding, and for making sure states provide special education services to the nation's 7.5 million children with disabilities."
"According to sources, all staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), with the exception of a handful of top officials and support staff, were cut in Friday's RIF. The office is the central nervous system for programs that support students with disabilities, not only offering guidance to families but providing monitoring and oversight of states to make sure they're complying with the landmark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)."
The Trump administration implemented a reduction-in-force that eliminated most staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), leaving only a few top officials and support staff. The cuts affect dozens of employees who manage roughly $15 billion in special education funding and who monitor state compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for 7.5 million children with disabilities. The office provides guidance to families and enforces oversight to ensure states deliver mandated services. The Education Department recorded 466 layoffs as part of about 4,200 federal job cuts announced amid the ongoing shutdown, and union leaders assert the firings may be illegal.
Read at www.npr.org
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