Senators Decry Moving Education Programs out of the Department

This week, Senate Members from the Appropriations and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees, along with 35 of their colleagues, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon expressing their concerns over recent Interagency Agreements (IAAs) that propose moving key education programs out of the Department of Education. Led by Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the letter responds to a plan unveiled on November 18 to move Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs to the Department of Labor, as well as five additional IAAs. “The actions... to continue hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education [ED] are outrageous, illegal, and will jeopardize the funding and support that tens of millions of students, teachers, and families across the country rely on,” the Senators write. 

They urged Secretary McMahon to “immediately reverse course and to focus your time and attention on actions that actually help states, school districts, and educational institutions improve educational outcomes and support for students.” 

CEC continues to sound the alarm about the potential negative impacts of moving education programs out of the Department of Education. This shift could disrupt and weaken federal education programs and harm the protections and support available to children and educators. 

While the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has not yet been moved, it will be separated from K-12 programs once these IAAs are executed, segregating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act from other education programs. Furthermore, rumors suggest OSERS’ authority will be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services imminently, a move that CEC strongly opposes.

To view the letter, go here.

To learn more about the issue and CEC’s position, go here.