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 continue to use our collective voice to protect the seamless administration of all education programs that support millions of children with disabilities.”
For CLE’s response to this administration’s recent efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, see previous press statements here.
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