Action Alert: Tell Congress to Restore the 
Office of Special Education Programs

DEC stands with CEC in strong opposition to the devastating cuts to the U.S. Department of Education that nearly eliminate OSEP and RSA—jeopardizing IDEA implementation and the rights of young children with disabilities and their families. OSEP’s leadership is vital to maintaining high-quality early intervention and early childhood special education nationwide. Take action today through CEC’s advocacy portal and share this alert widely to help protect IDEA and the future of early childhood programs. 

From the Council for Exceptional Children:

As you may have heard, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) engaged in sweeping layoffs over the weekend, as widely reported. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA) have been nearly eliminated in that “reduction in force” effort.

This news, which comes on the heels of a significant reduction in force at ED this spring that has already shrunk the workforce by nearly half, is devastating. It eliminates the expertise and oversight critical to ensuring IDEA implementation in states, eroding rights for children with disabilities and their parents.

Without OSEP, IDEA is in grave jeopardy. We urgently call on you to appeal to Congress to undo these cuts for the sake of children with disabilities, their families, and the educators who serve them.

Please share this call to action as widely as possible to send a strong message that IDEA must be upheld. More information and a social media toolkit are available here.

Thank you for being a part of the CEC Community. We will continue to monitor this issue and share information as it is available.

Julie Irene Bost

CEC President

Chad Rummel

CEC Executive Director

Division for Early Childhood 
of the Council for Exceptional Children

www.dec-sped.org

www.decconference.org