06/17/2026
Sharing on behalf of the East San Gabriel Valley Special Education Local Plan Area Community Advisory Committee (East San Gabriel Valley SELPA Community Advisory Committee:
To view the PDF, click the link below or see the entire wording below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L1oNnROn26cqgRMCq1piP161KY2eBu6C/view?usp=sharing
Date: June 16, 2026
Subject: Students First: Preserving IDEA Within an Educational Framework
Dear Legislative Official,
On behalf of the East San Gabriel Valley SELPA Community Advisory Committee (CAC), we write to express our concern regarding the transfer of responsibilities for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and related IDEA functions from the U.S. Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services.
As a parent, student, and community-led advisory body, our focus remains on ensuring that students with disabilities receive the protections, services, and opportunities guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
For more than fifty years, IDEA has recognized students with disabilities as students first. The law was designed to ensure access to education, accountability, parental partnership, and preparation for adult life through an educational framework. Students with disabilities deserve to be supported as learners, with high expectations and meaningful opportunities to succeed alongside their peers.
Congress enacted IDEA to ensure that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education and established federal oversight through the U.S. Department of Education. Congress also created the U.S. Department of Education through the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979, recognizing the importance of coordinated national leadership and accountability in education. Students with disabilities are students first. Their educational rights should remain under the leadership of an agency whose primary mission is education.
We are concerned that transferring IDEA responsibilities outside the U.S. Department of Education moves special education away from the educational framework established by Congress and risks diminishing the educational focus that has been central to the law's success.
Through decades of bipartisan commitment to IDEA, students with disabilities have made significant progress, gaining greater independence, improving academic outcomes, and being embraced by their peers in integrated classrooms. These advances have strengthened pathways to employment, community participation, and self-sufficiency.
We respectfully urge policymakers to preserve IDEA oversight within the U.S. Department of Education and ensure that federal leadership continues to support:
• Educational opportunity for all students with disabilities
• Strong accountability in the implementation of IDEA and related civil rights protections
• Robust parental partnership in educational decision-making
• Continued focus on positive academic outcomes and measurable progress
• Preparation for adult life, including employment, independence, and community participation
As we reflect on IDEA's legacy of 50 years, we ask that leaders uphold the intent of Congress and reaffirm our nation's commitment to helping every student reach their full potential. Students with disabilities are students first, and their educational rights, opportunities, and future success must remain at the center of federal policy decisions.
Thank you for your continued dedication to children and families.
We welcome the opportunity for further discussion with policymakers and stakeholders, as parents and community members with lived experience supporting students with disabilities.
Sincerely,
Ms. Tavia L. Lawson, Chair
Parent Representative
East San Gabriel Valley SELPA Community Advisory Committee
[email protected]
