In the episode of Education on the Line, we examine how the Trump administration has used the shutdown to try to eviscerate key agencies in the U.S. Dept of Education that oversee enforcement and the integrity of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. IDEA Is the landmark civil rights legislation that grants nearly 8 million children and young adults with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education. In conversation with veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and Kristin Wright, former director of special education in California, describe what is at stake. Both are parents of disabled children. They emphasize that despite the threats to federal support and oversight, the focus must remain on what is happening at a school district and state level, which is where primary responsibility lies for ensuring that children in special education are adequately served.
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