Just over a week ago, the presidential administration officially fired the majority of the staff at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the division of the Department of Education (ED) responsible for overseeing, guiding, and supporting nationwide implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is the federal law behind special education.

This is a concerning development for many families, and AJE has heard from families who are confused about what this means for them and their children. While it is unclear how the small remaining staff at OSEP will be able to continue their role of making sure IDEA is implemented across the country, ensuring the right of students with disabilities to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), there are some things we do know, and can share with families. Most importantly, families should know that right now, AJE is operating as we normally do, and the legal obligation of schools to provide students with disabilities with a FAPE in the LRE has not changed, and neither has the obligation of OSSE to monitor and support schools as they do that work.

What is OSEP and what does it do?

• OSEP is the federal “engine room” or “back office” for special education in the U.S., ensuring that IDEA is more than just a law on paper and is actively implemented across states, districts, and schools nationwide.
• OSEP is both a funding agency and a compliance overseer. This means it is central to turning IDEA’s promises into reality.
• OSEP was built by advocates, families, and persons with disabilities to ensure that no child is excluded and that all children can learn and thrive.
• OSEP provides technical assistance and performance monitoring to grantees like AJE and other Parent Training and Information Centers across the country.

What happened last week?

• On October 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to staff that will go into effect on December 9, 2025. These cuts will result in mass layoffs across multiple divisions of ED, including OSEP.
• Reports indicate that only two senior staff members remain at OSEP, which puts critical functions related to IDEA in jeopardy, including implementation, monitoring, and technical assistance.

Why are people worried?

• The implications of these cuts are reduced protections and supports that over 7 million students with disabilities and their families depend on.
• IDEA is vital to ensuring equal rights for students with disabilities. The functions of IDEA include:
  • Requiring that public schools create Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students with disabilities
  • Guaranteeing Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students with disabilities, education that meets students’ unique needs and prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living
  • Ensuring a Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), or that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are not separated from children without disabilities unless necessary
  • Providing appropriate evaluation, meaning students become eligible for special education and related services through a process that uses multiple evaluation measures and is not racially or culturally discriminatory
  • Establishing both parent and teacher participation in ensuring that students receive the education necessary for success
  • Allowing parents and teachers to challenge any decisions that they feel are inappropriate for the student
• Without OSEP, states and local districts may lose critical funding, and the corrupt and/or ineffective use of funds could increase.
• Reporting and transparency may be reduced, meaning a loss of accountability and no visible metrics by which to judge how children with disabilities are being served.
• Children with disabilities may be denied their rights under IDEA without recourse outside of the federal court system.

What does this mean for AJE and other grantees?

• We are still trying to determine what these changes mean for organizations like AJE, who is a Federally Designated Parent Training and Information Center, and funded in part by IDEA funds administered by OSEP.
• We also don’t know what this means for state educational agencies, like OSSE, who receive federal funding for Special Education under IDEA from OSEP and disperse that funding to local educational agencies (LEAs) in DC to provide special education and related services to eligible students.
• Right now, AJE is operating as we normally do, and the legal obligation of LEAs to provide students with disabilities with a FAPE in the LRE has not changed, and neither has the obligation of OSSE the monitor and support LEAs as they do that work.

Share your concerns!

• The IDEA Preservation Coalition, an independent organization that AJE is not part of, is collecting signatures for a petition to Congress and the presidential administration to request action to rescind these layoffs and help restore OSEP staff.
• You can sign the petition here: bit.ly/IDEASIGN.