Students with disabilities are one of the most discriminated against and segregated groups of minority students in our country’s public schools. We are deeply concerned that the federal government’s shift of the oversight of special education and civil rights, which are protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to two non-education agencies can set back the collective civil rights of nearly eight million young people in our country who receive special education services.
While NYC, which is the largest school district in the country, has long struggled to fulfill and fund IEP mandates at all schools, we are hopeful that our city and state will do everything in their power to not let this move in funding, oversight, and accountability at the federal level interfere with any longstanding efforts to support better learning outcomes and stronger integration for the 300,000+ students with disabilities in NYC.