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While we have been preparing for Thanksgiving. This week brought some of the biggest education policy shifts of the year — and if you’re a parent of a neurodiverse or disabled child, you need to know how these changes affect your child’s rights, services, and long-term support.

Between the federal effort to break up major parts of the U.S. Department of Education and aggressive state-level moves on funding, governance, and age eligibility, the ground is moving quickly.

Here’s your clear, parent-centered breakdown of what changed — and what it means for your family.

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1. Federal Change of the Week: Breaking Up the Department of Education

The Trump administration signed six interagency agreements this week, transferring major responsibilities from the U.S. Department of Education to other federal agencies. The stated goal: reduce federal oversight, streamline bureaucracy, and return power to the states.

Here’s what actually shifted:

What moved and where it went

• Over $20 billion in annual K–12 and postsecondary grants → now managed by the Department of Labor
• Native education programs → moved to the Department of the Interior
• Child care for college students → transferred to Health and Human Services
• International education work → shifted to the State Department

What stayed the same

• Policy authority technically remains with the Department of Education
• But the staff who run the programs — and the infrastructure — are now elsewhere

Why this matters for families

For disability and civil rights advocates, this isn’t a minor reshuffling — it’s a structural shift with real-world consequences:

• Weaker oversight
• More confusion about timelines and responsibilities
• Harder pathways for correcting IDEA violations
• Less consistency across states
• Increased burden on parents to document and escalate issues

When critical functions are scattered across five different federal agencies, the risk is simple:
​No one feels fully responsible.

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2. Special Education & IDEA: The Rights Are Clear, the Systems Are Not

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) still enforces IDEA.
But general K–12 accountability tools — data reporting, compliance monitoring, school improvement — are increasingly influenced by agencies outside the Department of Education.

This comes at a time when:

• IDEA remains massively underfunded (11–12% vs the promised 40%)
• Many state special education offices are experiencing high turnover
• States vary dramatically in capacity and political will to enforce disability rights
• The 50th anniversary of IDEA has sparked intense debate about whether our systems still match the law’s promise

The bottom line:
​IDEA rights still exist. The pathway to enforcing them is becoming more scattered.

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3. Additional Federal Moves This Week

While the agency restructuring took center stage, other federal actions surfaced:

Graduate & Professional Programs Redefined

The Department announced a controversial update excluding nursing from the federal “professional degree” list. This shifts eligibility for certain federal funding streams — with ripple effects across healthcare, behavioral therapy, and mental-health workforce pipelines.

Postsecondary Priorities

Recent federal briefings highlighted priorities for college and workforce grants:

• Artificial intelligence
• Civil discourse initiatives
• Accreditation reform
• Expansion of short-term education & training programs

This reinforces a national shift toward workforce framing — even in policy areas directly impacting students with disabilities.

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4. State-Level Developments You Should Know About

Idaho: Moving Toward Special Ed Through Age 22

State leaders are reviewing proposals to extend IDEA services to age 22, following recent court decisions in neighboring states. If adopted, Idaho would align with a growing national trend recognizing that FAPE continues beyond 21 when adult education opportunities exist.

Missouri: Funding Formula Under Review

Missouri’s governor-appointed task force is reevaluating:

• State school funding formulas
• Local revenue rules
• Equity-based allocations
• Accountability for special education services

The Missouri State Board of Education has also undergone near-total turnover — and the new board is demanding tighter data, clearer budget justifications, and stronger connections between spending and student needs.

Maryland: Blueprint Accountability & Hold-Harmless Extension

Maryland’s Accountability and Implementation Board advanced recommendations including:

• Streamlined reporting
• Expanded teacher-prep pathways
• Hold-harmless funding for multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and students in poverty

This protects high-need schools from sudden funding drops — a meaningful stability factor during federal restructuring.

Connecticut: Autism Coverage Extended to Age 26

Connecticut passed a new law extending private insurance coverage for autism-related therapies through age 26, bridging a gap during the transition to adulthood.

Other State Signals This Week

Across several states and territories:

• Governors are prioritizing K–12 funding modernization, mental health, and workforce pathways
• Technical-college partnership initiatives are expanding
• Debates around dyslexia screening and restraint bans continue
• States like Tennessee, Colorado, and New Mexico are updating special education oversight and evaluation rules

The pattern is clear:
​As federal oversight decreases, states are stepping into new roles — with uneven capacity.

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5. What This Means for Your Family Right Now

1. Monitor your state’s evolving special education rules.

Especially around age limits, funding formulas, evaluation timelines, and transition services.

2. Document everything.

Fragmented systems increase the risk of missed services or unclear accountability.

3. Ask your district how funding shifts are affecting staffing.

Reduced reimbursements or state restructuring often show up first in service minutes and caseload size.

4. Learn your state’s enforcement process.

With federal decentralization, state timelines and state complaints will matter more.

5. Stay connected to advocacy organizations.

They are tracking this daily — so you don’t have to.

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Genie Speaks

We’re in a moment where policy shifts fast and families feel the impact first.

The goal of these weekly briefings is not to overwhelm you. It’s to give you clarity, language, and strategy so you can protect your child’s rights in a rapidly changing environment.

You do not have to navigate this alone.

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What I’m Tracking for Next Week’s Briefing

• Final agency transitions announced by ED
• State reactions to the federal restructuring
• New special education-related bills prefiled ahead of 2026 sessions
• Updates to restraint/seclusion bans
• Funding proposals emerging from governors’ offices

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Call to Action

Share this newsletter with a parent or educator who needs clarity this week.
Comment with the state you’re in — I’ll include your state’s updates in a future briefing.
And if your organization is preparing for these changes and needs guidance, let’s connect.

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