In private call, Education Dept. tried, but failed, to reassure disability advocates
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"The concern is not that IDEA disappears overnight. The concern is that the administration is preserving IDEA at the Department of Education on paper, while moving much of the work that makes IDEA real for families somewhere else," said Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. "For students, that could mean more confusion, slower guidance, weaker monitoring and less accountability when services are delayed or denied."

Newhouse, from the Education Department, denied that the changes would affect how staff do their jobs. "A different building, a different floor, or a different desk doesn't change their job responsibilities and commitment to serve students with disabilities every single day."

Department officials say federal funds dedicated to special education will continue to flow to states and schools through the agency for now, but it's unclear how those systems may change when OSERS staff move to HHS.

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