Breaking Up The Federal Support System for Special Education

Education On The Line

In the episode of Education on the Line, we examine how the Trump administration is using the shutdown to eviscerate key agencies in the U.S. Dept of Education that oversee enforcement and the integrity of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. IDEA Is the landmark civil rights legislation that in theory at leaves give nearly 8 million children and young adults with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education. In conversation with veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and Kristin Wright, former director of special education in California, describe what is at stake. Both are parents of disabled children. They emphasize that rather than the federal government, the focus must remain on what is happening at a school district and state level, which is where primary responsibility lies for ensuring that children in special education programs are adequately served.

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פרקים

1. Breaking Up The Federal Support System for Special Education (00:00:00)

2. Setting The Stakes For IDEA (00:00:04)

3. Guests And Backgrounds Introduced (00:02:29)

4. What The Federal Cuts Target (00:02:46)

5. Why OSERS And OSEP Matter (00:05:24)

6. A Parent And Educator’s View (00:06:20)

7. Do Federal Actions Impact Schools (00:07:30)

8. Who IDEA Serves And How (00:09:01)

9. States’ Role And Funding Gaps (00:12:39)

10. HHS Move: Risks And Models (00:16:59)

11. Breaking Apart Oversight (00:21:33)

12. Bipartisan History Versus Signals (00:24:15)

13. What Leaders And Citizens Can Do (00:26:12)

14. Reassurances And Urgency (00:30:15)

15. Closing And Listener Appeal (00:33:56)