Former Administration Officials Urge Preservation of IDEA
On Monday, former U.S. Department of Education officials from every administration from President Carter to President Biden, including former Office of Special Education Programs Director Laurie VanderPloeg, CEC’s Associate Director, signed a letter to Congress to reject the Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Specifically, the letter states, “We are writing to urge you to reject recommendations made by the Administration to block grant IDEA Part B preschool (ages 3-5) and IDEA Part D National Activities funds and to uphold the existing statutory requirements in the special education law.”
The letter highlights the importance of IDEA’s commitment to early childhood education and the infrastructure that supports states in implementing the special education law. It also challenges the dismantling of IDEA technical assistance centers and the notion that states are best positioned to handle full implementation of IDEA, citing a recent Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) report that found 37 states “need assistance” to meet IDEA requirements. CEC is also opposed to eliminating IDEA preschool grants and IDEA National Activities, and has urged Congress to fund all parts of IDEA.