Officials from the U.S. Department of Education held a private briefing with disability rights advocates Thursday to address concerns about a proposed reorganization that would move special education offices to the Department of Health and Human Services. The briefing, recorded and obtained by NPR, featured acting assistant secretary Kelly Rogers attempting to reassure attendees that the move would not compromise federal protections for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Despite Rogers’ assurances, advocates left the call with unresolved questions about implementation details. The proposal would relocate staff from the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to HHS, though Rogers indicated she would continue overseeing them from the Education Department with additional HHS support. Advocates argue this arrangement creates confusion rather than streamlining federal bureaucracy. The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates characterized the proposal as adding bureaucratic layers while creating uncertainty for families, educators, and state agencies.
The reorganization is part of the administration’s broader “Returning Education to the States” campaign, which includes moving civil rights oversight and more than a dozen other offices to different agencies. Education Department press secretary Savannah Newhouse stated in follow-up communications that the changes place responsibilities with a better-positioned agency that has expertise working with people with disabilities across age groups. However, Rogers did not provide a specific timeline for implementation during the briefing.
Disability advocates and education leaders expressed concern that while IDEA remains nominally overseen by the Education Department, the practical work implementing the law would move elsewhere, potentially weakening monitoring and accountability. The CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities warned that the changes could result in increased confusion, slower guidance, and diminished oversight when services are delayed or denied to students. Some advocates called on Congress to intervene, noting that federal agencies can only be dissolved through congressional action, suggesting the administration may be pursuing this strategy to circumvent that requirement.
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