Washington, D.C., October 14, 2025 — National Parents Union President Keri Rodrigues released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to cut special education staff at the Department of Education:
“The National Parents Union (NPU) condemns the Trump Administration’s cruel and deliberate decision to gut the Office of Special Education, firing nearly everyone responsible for enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is not a bureaucratic reshuffle. It is an assault on the civil rights of millions of children with disabilities across the United States.
By dismantling IDEA and slashing the very team that protects vulnerable students, the Administration has destroyed the only federal safeguard that holds schools and states accountable. Without enforcement, families are disempowered and IDEA protections become an empty shell.
Children with autism, dyslexia, intellectual disabilities, and physical impairments rely on justice, fairness, and the moral courage of adults in power. This Administration has shown it has none.
During Secretary Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing, she looked Congress and America’s families in the eye and promised to protect programs for students with disabilities. By gutting the office that ensures schools follow the law, Secretary McMahon has betrayed her word and every child she vowed to defend. Her actions make it clear: protecting children with disabilities was never her intention.
When our leaders abandon children with disabilities, they abandon the very soul of public education.
The Trump Administration has chosen to target the Office of Special Education at a time when every decision is being weaponized as part of a political fight in Washington. They are using children with disabilities as pawns in a larger power struggle, turning their education and civil rights into bargaining chips during a government shutdown.
The National Parents Union will not stand by while the federal government plays politics with our children’s futures. We will fight for accountability, for the restoration of IDEA enforcement, and for every child’s right to learn, grow, and succeed.”
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARENTS UNION
With more than 1,800 affiliated parent organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, the National Parents Union is the united, independent voice of modern American families. We channel the power of parents into powerful policies that improve the lives of children, families and communities across the United States. https://nationalparentsunion.org/