From KXAN:
“Advocates and former education officials are concerned about the future of special education in Texas following a Trump administration decision to cut staff in the special education office of the Department of Education.
The firings happened last week amid the government shutdown, but a federal judge has temporarily blocked the layoffs as a court battle between unions and the federal government ensues.
…The DOE had to intervene in Texas in 2018 after an investigation found the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had unofficially set a cap on the percentage of students in special education programs, incentivizing school districts for denying services to kids who should have been eligible for them.
Steven Aleman, the senior policy specialist for Disability Rights Texas, said the corrective action helped the state improve its diagnosis of students in special education. However, Aleman adds, ‘it’s always important to have that federal watchdog there available to us if there’s ever any slippage or regression.’
The TEA also has a specialized office within the agency responsible for meeting the requirements under the IDEA. Parents can report special education complaints with the TEA if they believe there is a violation in state or federal law, but Aleman wonders if the agency will have the capacity to take on the oversight role solely without as much federal support.
‘We, of course, do have confidence that the Texas Education Agency does want to do the right thing,’ Aleman explained. ‘The question now is will they have the capacity and ability if there’s more pressure on them because of the reductions at the federal level.’
…Aleman also questions what will happen with the federal funding aspect of the program.
‘There is a requirement that the state submit an application for that money so if there’s no one there at the Department of Education to receive that application to approve it, then that complicates, of course, the federal aid,’ Aleman said.”
Read the full story on the KXAN website.