Education Department Moves Special Ed. and Civil Rights to Other Agencies

The federal government is shifting oversight of the country’s special education programs and school civil rights enforcement from the Department of Education to other agencies, marking a significant restructuring of how these critical protections are administered. The move raises questions about accountability and consistency in ensuring students with disabilities receive mandated services and schools comply with anti-discrimination laws. Critics argue this decentralization could weaken enforcement, while supporters say it may streamline processes under different federal authorities. The change signals a broader shift in how the government regulates education policy at the national level.

The U.S. Department of Education has begun outsourcing responsibility for overseeing the nation’s sprawling special education system and enforcing civil rights law in schools to other federal agencies ...