When Education Secretary Linda McMahon met with the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), it seemed like a chance to reassure advocates about the future of special education. But instead, the discussion raised alarms. Jacqueline Rodriguez, NCLD’s CEO, pressed McMahon on whether the Trump administration planned to shift control of special education from the Department of Education to Health and Human Services (HHS).

For Rodriguez, the idea was deeply troubling. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has guided schools for fifty years, ensuring students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. Moving oversight to HHS, a department without expertise in education law, could unravel that framework entirely.

A Department Under Threat

Project 2025, a conservative policy plan influencing much of the administration’s education strategy, calls for dismantling the Department of Education. It suggests that once eliminated, special education oversight should move to HHS.

During her Senate confirmation, McMahon appeared uncertain about where IDEA truly belonged, saying she was “not sure” whether it might be better suited to HHS. That hesitation soon turned into a larger concern.

Only nine days into a government shutdown, the administration announced a massive reduction, over 450 Education Department employees would be laid off, including nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education Programs. For advocates like Rodriguez, this move looked like an indirect attempt to dismantle IDEA oversight entirely.

Pushback and Legal Challenges

Families, teachers, and disability advocates were quick to react. Roughly 7.5 million students between ages 3 and 21 rely on IDEA protections. Losing the people who enforce those laws would mean parents and schools would have nowhere to turn for guidance or complaints.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the layoffs, but the issue is likely headed to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, President Trump hinted that more cuts to “Democrat programs” were on the way.

McMahon attempted to reassure the public, claiming on X that “no education funding is impacted.” But experts like Danielle Kovach, a veteran special educator, said money was never the issue. “If we dismantle the control tower at a busy airport,” she explained, “planes might still fly—but chaos would follow.”

Families Left Without Answers

For parents like Maribel Gardea in San Antonio, these changes feel personal. Her 14-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy, depends on IDEA protections for access to communication devices and learning support. Without federal oversight, she wonders how families will get help when schools fail to comply.

“It feels like no one has our back,” Gardea said.

Advocates warn that if the cuts go through, families will once again need to fight for basic rights that were secured decades ago.

The Call to Stay Vigilant

Rodriguez calls it a “bait and switch,” saying the administration’s promises to protect children with disabilities do not match its actions. Despite the uncertainty, she and others are urging parents to become their own watchdogs.

“You have to be the compliance monitor now,” Rodriguez said. “It is unfair, but necessary.”