Recent federal changes to the Office of Special Education Programs are likely to have multiple impacts on special education services offered through schools and districts, especially at the local level. This can lead to confusion, hesitation and heightened accountability among special education directors.
In my own backyard, for example, of New York City is budgeting more than $290 million in federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for next fiscal year. To put that in perspective, the New York State Education Department allocated $302 million in IDEA funding this fiscal year to support 228,363 students aged 3–21 and 30,862 pre-school children aged 3–5.
The majority of that funding supports the staffing of paraprofessionals and school psychologists across the city.
If the federal funding stream slows or stops, what happens to these services? How are special education teams and, most importantly, students impacted?
Growing strain on special education teams
While laws around IDEA and 504s have not changed—and crucially, school districts are still required to adhere to them—the chances of schools and districts being able to afford providing all students with special needs a free and appropriate public education will be slim if federal support disappears.
In addition, the services that the Office of Special Education Programs provides, including technical support, oversight and appeals, will not be available to schools, districts, or families.
This uncertainty can, undoubtedly, be hard for special education directors and their teams. They are struggling with being fully responsible for ensuring that students with individualized education programs and 504s get the specific, timely and documented supports they require and deserve.
As such, now is a critical time as a district leader to support your special education administrators and help ensure your special education teams continue to have the training, support, resources and guidance that were previously, at least in part, provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
3 ways to provide timely support
Below are three strategies to guide, support, and advocate for special education directors and teams so they can keep delivering high-quality education in these unprecedented times.
1. Build and develop local capacity and shared expertise. Reducing reliance on federal support is important for continuity at this moment in history. This can include enlisting local, state or university-partner resources to ensure everyone involved is extremely clear on legal and compliance requirements.
It may also include facilitating partnerships across school districts to provide peer support among special education departments and professionals.
2. Get creative with funding to fill any gaps left by delays in federal funding disbursement. This begins with a careful audit of any potential holes left because of funding delays. Where are there funding gaps? Where are your services being impacted most?
Next, consider a “braided funding” approach. Try weaving together state, local, Title I, leftover Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief and grant funding to prevent any stoppages of special education services.
3. Advocate to support special education funding and support. Simply being visible and standing alongside your special education staff can help build confidence. This advocacy may include supporting special education teams in forums in which parents and caregivers are present, for example, in order to maintain trust in that community.
It is also important to overcommunicate with your special education teams—be clear about what you are not certain of at this time, while reassuring them that you will continue to fight for them—so they know they can turn to you when they need advocacy.
Strong leadership makes a difference
Bottom line: your special education teams and leaders need your explicit support. In today’s current special education landscape, it is important to try to mitigate uncertainty whenever and however possible, while maintaining transparency.
While federal changes may be out of your control, your response as a district leader is not. By supporting your special education directors and teams, you can empower them to stay focused on what matters most: providing high-quality support and educational services to help students with special needs thrive.
