Resources

Jan 21
nice policies icon

The Center for Learner Equity Supports Congressional Appropriations for the Department of Education

Washington, D.C. – In response to yesterday’s release of the negotiated Fiscal Year 2026 funding package for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, the Center for Learner Equity (CLE) thanks House and Senate appropriators for affirming the Department of Education’s (ED) critical role and ensuring all aspects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are funded. Each component of the IDEA (Parts B, C, and D) reaches distinctly different constituents, from students with disabilities birth to 21, their families, and educators, to supports for districts and charter schools on implementing best practices, to critical research, and more. The funding package must be agreed upon to fully fund the government before the January 30 deadline. “Appropriators have made their intent and directives clear: The Department of Education has an ongoing responsibility to carry out programs and activities that Congress has singularly directed the agency to do,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of CLE. “Language in the legislation requires ED to continue functioning. What’s more, we appreciate Congress recognizing that every subpart of our K-12 education statutes is essential by directing funding for IDEA Parts B, C, and D, and Title I, Title II, Title IV, […]

Jan 20

From Head Start to Civil Rights, 8 Ways Trump Reshaped Education in Just 1 Year

 “There is a sense of fear and chaos in schools. They’re already operating on razor-thin margins. What they can neither handle nor sustain is more delays. Or the notion that federal reporting is now getting spread across multiple agencies.” – Jennifer Coco, interim executive director of the Center for Learner Equity.  The path to dismantle the Department of Education through executive orders, layoffs, and canceled contracts last year seriously threatened essential services of millions of children with disabilities.  Especially when Secretary Linda McMahon acknowledged that nothing will remain in the department. That means continued uncertainty for our nation’s schools Read the full piece in The 74 here.

Jan 13

Center for Learner Equity: 2025 A Year in Review

Last year, the Center for Learner Equity (CLE) was a leading voice protecting students with disabilities, defending the Department of Education (ED), and advancing our vision around the future of education.  At the federal level, our advocacy work accelerated with an urgent need to push back on harmful actions. We also continued our work alongside local partners as they strengthened their services and supports for students with disabilities, built more inclusive systems, and improved outcomes for the learners who need it most. That is the heart of CLE’s work: pairing urgent national advocacy with meaningful, sustained partnership with school systems on the ground.  Together, our federal advocacy as well as our state and local partnerships reflect CLE’s holistic approach: protecting critical rights while supporting educators and leaders who make those rights a reality.  Let’s take a look at a few highlights of 2025, to ground us in what lies ahead in 2026. Federal advocacy Much of the year was devoted to urging the Administration to protect 8+ million children with disabilities and Congress to advance the IDEA. This included:  Virtual Town Halls: Organizing a November event attended by 1,300 parents and educators regarding recent federal actions around special education. Watch […]

Dec 15

The Department of Education: Why It Matters.

This past year, there has been an increased passion and urgency to protect the rights of 8+ million students with disabilities. There’s also an opportunity to learn about the influential offices in the Department of Education (ED) — and why it’s imperative these offices must remain united under a single department.   As the administration continues down its dangerous path of gutting programs that support the education of students with disabilities, we’re shedding light on how four education offices function. We dive into why their expertise matters and how these offices help turn the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)’s promises into a reality.  The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) OSEP is the backstop to the IDEA. The office issues policy guidance and helps ensure states use IDEA funds properly so all students receive the support they need. This includes: Initiating and funding research and technical assistance centers uniquely designed to support special education teachers, specialists, and parents. Administering the distribution of IDEA funds and monitoring state implementation. Conducting site visits and collecting required data from states so Congress and the public are informed about the status of students with disabilities each year.  The experts at OSEP ensure the IDEA […]

  • December 15, 2025
  • Blog
Nov 19
Policy and Advocacy Icon

The Center for Learner Equity continues to condemn dismantling the Department of Education

Washington, D.C. – The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) continues to vehemently oppose moving the functions of the Department of Education (ED) to other federal departments. This plan jeopardizes the rights and education of 8 million children with disabilities.  While the six interagency agreements announced on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 do not include a plan to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services or the Office for Civil Rights, these functions remain under threat. The actions taken are not only harmful, they are unlawful. This includes moving all functions of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), which administers K-12 grant programs including the Charter School Program, to the Department of Labor.   “Students with disabilities are students first, but today’s actions separate programs for students with disabilities from all K-12 education programs,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of CLE. “This should not be a partisan issue. Dismantling the Department of Education will have negative consequences for children across the nation. We urge the Administration to reverse this decision, and we urge Congress to immediately conduct oversight hearings in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee. And we will […]

Oct 27

A new action guide: How to keep special education teachers

If we want better outcomes for students with disabilities, we have to retain the educators who are committed to expanding inclusive learning environments. Yet entering this school year, public schools again reported that special education was among the hardest roles to staff; 74% of elementary and middle schools struggled to fill teacher vacancies, with special education positions among the most challenging to fill, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s not an isolated blip — it’s a pattern we’ve seen for years, with special education consistently ranking as one of the top shortage areas nationwide.  In October, the Center for Learner Equity (CLE), in partnership with the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA), released a practical Action Guide for system and school leaders who are ready to move from worry to work. This resource focuses squarely on supporting and retaining special education teachers — because if school leaders can better understand the root causes of why special educators leave their jobs, then we can take action to help these teachers stay. What makes this guide different This guide goes beyond identifying the problem—it helps solve it. The guide is designed for quick adoption with tangible recommendations, ready-to-use […]

  • October 27, 2025
  • Blog
Oct 27
nice research icon

Oversight Hearing Request: Impact of ED RIF on OSERS

CLE, along with 60+ other national organizations signed onto a  joint letter calling on the Senate HELP Committee to convene a Senate Oversight Hearing about ED’s lay-offs and dismantling of ED’s ability to implement its required functions.  The letter is linked below. Oversight Hearing Request_Impact of ED RIF on OSERS__final

Oct 16
The74 Logo

Court Blocks Shutdown Layoffs, But Experts Say Education Department Programs Still in Danger

A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked the Administration’s plan for mass layoffs at the Education Department. But the rights of children with disabilities are still at risk.  “The staff who received layoff notices, represent decades of expertise in understanding what folks in the field needed … to make things better for kids.” – said Jennifer Coco, our interim Executive Director. Read the full piece in The 74: https://www.the74million.org/article/court-blocks-shutdown-layoffs-but-experts-say-education-department-programs-still-in-danger/

Oct 15
nice leadership icon

Broad Coalition Condemns the Department of Education for Ending Support for Students with Disabilities

The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) is proud to stand with over 400 national, state, local, civil rights, education, and disability advocacy organizations in condemning the mass layoffs at the Department of Education — jeopardizing decades of progress in protecting students with disabilities. We urge the Administration and Congress to restore staffing and supports at the Department of Education immediately. It’s a moral and legal obligation for our nation’s children with disabilities. Full statement here.  #disability #protectspecialeducation #DontTurnBackTheClock #ProtectChildrenWithDisabilities  #FiveAlarmFire #ProtectIDEA Department of Education Condemned for Ending Support for Students with Disabilities

Oct 14
nice policies icon

The Center for Learner Equity denounces massive layoffs of federal special education staff

Washington, D.C. – The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) strongly opposes the administration’s recent action of gutting the key offices that oversee special education programs. Decimating these offices directly harms the education of more than 8 million students with disabilities across the nation. On Friday, October 10, 2025, the entirety of the Department of Education’s special education and K-12 education infrastructure, from the Office of Special Education Programs to the Charter School Program Office, was rendered non-functioning through massive layoffs. This reduction-in-force, or RIF, makes it nearly impossible for the Department to fulfill its duties on behalf of students with disabilities, their families, and schools.  “The education of students with disabilities is a nonpartisan issue that should be insulated from politics,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of CLE.  “Despite Education Secretary Linda McMahon repeatedly committing to uplifting the rights of students with disabilities, the administration chose to gut the offices responsible for ensuring states are upholding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We urge Secretary McMahon to reverse the layoffs and rise above partisan politics in the interest of supporting the education of students in every community across the nation—1 in 5 of which is a student with […]