I am outraged by the proposal to move the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration from the Department of Education to Health and Human Services, and to shift the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice.
A strong Department of Education is essential to protecting the rights of students with disabilities and ensuring access to a free appropriate public education under Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The department’s expertise in enforcing inclusive, least restrictive services cannot be replicated elsewhere. Before federal protections, more than a million children with disabilities were excluded from public schools, and millions more received inadequate services. The IDEA and OSEP were created to end that injustice.
The Office for Civil Rights also plays a critical role in ensuring equal access and preventing discrimination. Removing these functions will weaken accountability. We must stop these changes and preserve the Department of Education.
Elizabeth Nitzel
Farmingdale
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