If we want better outcomes for students with disabilities, we have to retain the educators who are committed to expanding inclusive learning environments. Yet entering this school year, public schools again reported that special education was among the hardest roles to staff; 74% of elementary and middle schools struggled to fill teacher vacancies, with special education positions among the most challenging to fill, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s not an isolated blip — it’s a pattern we’ve seen for years, with special education consistently ranking as one of the top shortage areas nationwide. In October, the Center for Learner Equity (CLE), in partnership with the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA), released a practical Action Guide for system and school leaders who are ready to move from worry to work. This resource focuses squarely on supporting and retaining special education teachers — because if school leaders can better understand the root causes of why special educators leave their jobs, then we can take action to help these teachers stay. What makes this guide different This guide goes beyond identifying the problem—it helps solve it. The guide is designed for quick adoption with tangible recommendations, ready-to-use […]
CLE, along with 60+ other national organizations signed onto a joint letter calling on the Senate HELP Committee to convene a Senate Oversight Hearing about ED’s lay-offs and dismantling of ED’s ability to implement its required functions. The letter is linked below. Oversight Hearing Request_Impact of ED RIF on OSERS__final
A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked the Administration’s plan for mass layoffs at the Education Department. But the rights of children with disabilities are still at risk. “The staff who received layoff notices, represent decades of expertise in understanding what folks in the field needed … to make things better for kids.” – said Jennifer Coco, our interim Executive Director. Read the full piece in The 74: https://www.the74million.org/article/court-blocks-shutdown-layoffs-but-experts-say-education-department-programs-still-in-danger/
The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) is proud to stand with over 400 national, state, local, civil rights, education, and disability advocacy organizations in condemning the mass layoffs at the Department of Education — jeopardizing decades of progress in protecting students with disabilities. We urge the Administration and Congress to restore staffing and supports at the Department of Education immediately. It’s a moral and legal obligation for our nation’s children with disabilities. Full statement here. #disability #protectspecialeducation #DontTurnBackTheClock #ProtectChildrenWithDisabilities #FiveAlarmFire #ProtectIDEA Department of Education Condemned for Ending Support for Students with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. – The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) strongly opposes the administration’s recent action of gutting the key offices that oversee special education programs. Decimating these offices directly harms the education of more than 8 million students with disabilities across the nation. On Friday, October 10, 2025, the entirety of the Department of Education’s special education and K-12 education infrastructure, from the Office of Special Education Programs to the Charter School Program Office, was rendered non-functioning through massive layoffs. This reduction-in-force, or RIF, makes it nearly impossible for the Department to fulfill its duties on behalf of students with disabilities, their families, and schools. “The education of students with disabilities is a nonpartisan issue that should be insulated from politics,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of CLE. “Despite Education Secretary Linda McMahon repeatedly committing to uplifting the rights of students with disabilities, the administration chose to gut the offices responsible for ensuring states are upholding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We urge Secretary McMahon to reverse the layoffs and rise above partisan politics in the interest of supporting the education of students in every community across the nation—1 in 5 of which is a student with […]
Federal funding for special education is critical to ensuring students with disabilities receive the services and supports they need. It is also a foundational investment in schools implementing quality instruction for all students. With the education policy landscape rapidly evolving, here’s what we’re tracking, what to watch, and how we can continue to uplift our vision around the future of education. Who does chronic underfunding impact? Nearly one in five students in the U.S. has a disability. Importantly, 85% of these students can achieve grade-level outcomes on par with their peers when they receive quality instruction tailored to their learning needs — using universal instructional strategies proven to benefit ALL students. That’s why fully funding individualized instruction and supports for 20% of public school students is the key to helping students with disabilities thrive. What’s missing from the conversation? A key part of the conversation that is often overlooked when talking about current federal funding levels is that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has never been fully funded at the levels promised since its passage in 1975. Fifty years ago, Congress codified a commitment to educating and including children with disabilities, establishing the right to a free, appropriate […]
CLE Interim Director Jennifer Coco will join inspiring legacy of the PIE Leadership Institute Today, the Center for Learner Equity announced that its Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Coco, will join the PIE Leadership Institute’s Cohort 10. For more than a decade, the Leadership Institute has served as a cohort-based, year-long leadership opportunity focused on leading change in evolving political educational environments. Coco has demonstrated distinguished expertise in education advocacy and policy on behalf of students with disabilities. With a background as an attorney and advocate for students, Coco has spent nearly two decades working to ensure that schools are welcoming places for all learners, providing instruction and services that meet the needs of students. In 2025, Coco helped cement CLE’s organizational position at the forefront of protecting students with disabilities. Through policy recommendations and federal advocacy championing the rights of students with disabilities, Coco helped lead the strategy that uplifts a shared vision around the future of education. “I am honored and humbled to join a cohort of leaders whom I have long admired,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of The Center for Learner Equity. “This past year has reinforced my relentless commitment to accountability and living up to […]
“Over the years we’ve broadened to really look more holistically at what the Civil Rights Data Collection shows us about the identity, traits and different intersectionalities of students with disabilities,” said our Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Coco. And the data reinforces the broad agreement that exclusionary discipline doesn’t change student behavior. Schools want to do better, but long-standing shortages in counselors, social workers, and psychologists have left many unable to deliver what students actually need. The takeaway: To reduce exclusionary discipline, we need more than awareness. We need investment. Read the full EdSurge article by Nadia Tamez-Robledo here: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-07-18-data-shows-more-discipline-less-college-prep-for-students-with-disabilities
CLE is quoted in a report on the exclusive analysis by The 74 of 2022-23 IDEA data reveals stark disparities among students already subject to disproportionate punishment in school. Read more here.
After seeing what accountability looks like in a private school setting, our Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Coco, knew she had to share her story. After spending the last two decades in special education law and advocacy, she recently lived through the work through an entirely new perspective — as a parent. A private school of choice told her they would not serve her son. So much of our work is personal, and this experience only reinforced for Jennifer that CLE’s work and advocacy have never been more important. As Congress considers an unprecedented $20 billion private school voucher program in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” there was real throughline with her professional advocacy and private journey as a parent of a child with a disability. This compelled Jennifer to pen an op-ed in The 74 explaining why giving up on the promise of IDEA and disinvesting in public schools is not the answer — and neither is lowering the bar for services and expecting better results. For the full piece, see here.