News
Another week, another round of education cuts. At this point, teachers are half expecting to find out that all recesses have been cut. Oh, wait. That’s already happening.
You’d think we’d be numb to it by now. Another headline, another round of “budget cuts.” Another announcement that somehow spares standardized testing, while targeting programs that actually help children, such as Special Education.
We have seen this show before, and it’s always the same ending… Programs that help students and provide assistance to teachers are cut, while others that create more work for teachers or harm students are miraculously saved.
Where will it end?
Special education is being dismantled.
And this time, the cuts aren’t just trimming budgets—they’re gutting the very support systems that protect our most vulnerable students.
Trump’s latest budget cuts have hit the Department of Education hard, and court filings confirm what teachers have already suspected: special education oversight is eroding from the inside out.
According to NPR, the majority of staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services have been subject to the RIF. This is the same office responsible for nearly $15 billion in education funding.
With the proper funding, this department ensures that 7.7 million students with disabilities are treated in their best interest under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
This department partners with state school systems to establish compliance with federal law. It helps get funding where there is the greatest need—early intervention for young children, teacher training, and new ideas that improve special education.
Without this, teachers will have to meet federal IEP requirements with half the staff, no specialists, and a mountain of paperwork taller than a stack of ungraded essays.
Because when they say “local control,” what they really mean is:
“Teachers will be given more paperwork and responsibilities.” Because apparently, the solution to underfunded special education is… more forms.
What this actually looks like in a classroom
These cut roles aren’t just names on a government roster or numbers on a spreadsheet. These positions help teachers, and most importantly, they help our neediest students. When programs are cut, it trickles down to our classrooms, our students’ experiences, and the overall school climate. Here are some of the ways that cutting special education will affect us.
- The para who helped your student with autism regulate? Gone.
- The occupational therapist your student desperately needs? Caseload doubled.
- Parents asking why services have stopped or changed? Teachers are the ones explaining why.
- The adaptive technology, sensory tools, and specialized instruction? On hold indefinitely.
- Teachers writing IEPs at midnight with no support or guidance.
Teachers and parents are sounding the alarm.
Across the country, teachers are reporting impossible caseloads and unfilled positions. Parents are waiting longer for evaluations. Some are being told their child no longer “qualifies” for certain supports.
The very students that these programs were designed to protect—those who need consistent, structured, individualized help—are the ones being left behind.
We have a shortage of special education teachers, and without adequate resources, this shortage will almost certainly grow. Students won’t receive the support they need, and general education teachers will be expected to fill the gap. Again.
What we can do
Teachers have been patching holes in this ship for years. Now, many are choosing to jump ship instead.
We cannot afford to be silent.
Teachers and parents need to stay informed and be aware of what is being cut and where. Speak up at board meetings, contact local representatives, and demand transparency about how IDEA funds are being used.
We’re not asking for miracles. We’re asking for a fighting chance.
