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Eliminating IES Means Fewer Resources for Districts, States to Educate Well

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is a cornerstone of evidence-based education, providing critical research, data, and tools that help schools improve student outcomes. But recent funding cuts could leave states and districts without the knowledge they need to make smart, student-centered decisions. As our Director of Research, Chase Nordengren, puts it: “We need more research to know what works, for whom, under what conditions. That’s what IES does. And if we can’t do that, we’re stuck with gut decisions — and that’s not good enough for kids.” Eliminating IES means: Fewer research grants to find what truly helps students Less data to guide education policy Fewer tools to help schools close learning gaps Our students deserve better. Let’s protect the research that helps them thrive. #SaveIES #EducationResearch #SupportOurSchools Read the full piece in @The74Media by Chase Nordengren here: https://www.the74million.org/article/eliminating-ies-means-fewer-resources-for-districts-states-to-educate-well/

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Isolation & Neglect: Disability Advocates Fear Return to a Bleak Past Under HHS

“There’s been a pretty broad pronouncement that this administration is thinking about moving special education anyway.” Even if protections are written into law, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be upheld under current conditions. Our Interim Executive Director, @Jennifer Coco,  warns that shifting special education oversight from the Department of Education to Health and Human Services could reverse decades of progress. We fear this change could lead to harmful assumptions about disabled students’ ability to learn, increasing segregation and undermining inclusive education. Read the full piece in @The74Media by @Beth Hawkins here: https://www.the74million.org/article/isolation-neglect-disability-advocates-fear-return-to-a-bleak-past-under-hhs/

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‘Really scared’: Parents of kids with disabilities confront Education Department chaos

“Any move to separate the education of students with disabilities from the education of all students further pathologizes disability and is treating 15% of all the children in our public school buildings like they’re medical issues — they’re not.” We know that health and education systems speak in entirely different languages including variations in terminology, training, and disciplines. It simply doesn’t translate. Our Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Coco explains what’s at risk when discussing moving IDEA to the Department of Health and Human Services. Read the full piece by Shauneen Miranda in States Newsroom here. 

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Virtual Press Conference – March 20, 2025

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, March 20, 2025, The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) joined the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), the Autism Society, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) for a virtual press conference discussing the unprecedented actions threatening the civil rights of students, particularly those with disabilities. Disability rights leaders discussed the consequences of dismantling the Department of Education and offered actionable next steps for families, educators, advocates, and policymakers. Jennifer Coco, CLE’s Interim Executive Director, spoke alongside: Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO, NCLD Christopher Banks, President & CEO, Autism Society Denise Marshall, CEO, COPAA Chad Rummel, Executive Director, Council for Exceptional Children A recording of the press conference can be found here.

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THE CENTER FOR LEARNER EQUITY OBJECTS TO MOVING THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Washington, D.C.– The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) vehemently objects to moving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In response to President Trump’s recent declaration, CLE reiterates that the current administration continues to overstep constitutional authority. Congress codified in law that the IDEA is administered by the U.S. Department of Education; therefore Congress is the only appropriate authority for such a decision.  “Moving the IDEA to HHS is bad policy. The local equivalent would be consolidating a local public school district under the leadership of the local hospital system,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of CLE. “The IDEA is neither medical nor clinical. Education and health systems speak in entirely different languages, with variations in terminology, training, and disciplines. There is simply no place for an education program in a bureaucracy built for healthcare administration. CLE rebukes President Trump’s ill-conceived declaration, and urges Congress to ensure the education of students with disabilities remains with the educators.” Specifically, the IDEA recognizes 13 broad categories of disability that are explicitly defined by a child’s unique learning needs in school. The IDEA cannot be […]

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THE CENTER FOR LEARNER EQUITY DENOUNCES PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ABOLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Washington, D.C.– The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) denounces the Trump Administration’s Executive Order calling for the Secretary to facilitate the closure of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). Following the massive Reduction in Force (RIF) earlier in March, CLE condemns this administration’s continued efforts to weaken and ultimately eliminate the Department that ensures rights and protections for all of America’s children, especially children with disabilities.  This Executive Order oversteps constitutional authority that belongs to Congress. While unenforceable, it creates panic and chaos for millions of public school students, educators, and schools. At a time when academic achievement in this country continues to flatline, abolishing the Department would put countless students at risk of losing necessary resources, supports, and protections for their education. “The intentional gutting of the institution charged with protecting children with disabilities is a tragedy,” said Jennifer Coco, Interim Executive Director of CLE. “The Department oversees the distribution of critical funding to states and monitors whether states, districts, and schools are lawfully implementing programs that support and protect students with disabilities. Without the expertise, dedicated personnel, and infrastructure of the Department, we lose critical safeguards needed to ensure children receive the education programs and services essential to […]

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The Center for Learner Equity Condemns the Administration’s Actions to Dismantle the Department of Education

Washington, D.C.– The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) condemns the Trump Administration’s gutting of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) through its massive Reduction in Force (RIF) of thousands of staff this week, and will continue to oppose any related federal actions that abolish its important role protecting the rights and preventing discrimination of students with disabilities.

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CLE’s Executive Director and Co-Founder featured in New York Times article on Trump’s education plans

“If I were to read the tea leaves,” said Lauren Morando Rhim, a co-founder and the executive director of the Center for Learner Equity, “I think that we’re going to see a huge decrease of staffing and simply reducing the function of the department.” Morando Rhim thinks that what Trump and Musk have done to U.S.A.I.D. could be a blueprint for their plans for the Department of Education. Read the article here.