Education Dept. Offloads Special Ed, Civil Rights Responsibilities to Other Agencies

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced that the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Education Department would move its programs to the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and reassigned the Office for Civil Rights responsibilities to the Justice Department (DOJ). Outlets on the left questioned how these changes could negatively impact students with disabilities, while right-leaning perspectives highlighted the progress towards President Donald Trump's goal of dismantling the Education Department entirely.

The Details: McMahon said, "The Trump Administration has been clear: as we scale back federal micromanagement when it hinders success, we are equally committed to bolstering the efficacy of federal oversight where it is essential… These agreements align federal responsibilities with the agencies best positioned to support them, strengthening the effectiveness and impact of critical services." This directive is the 14th interagency agreement McMahon has signed, transferring education programs to other federal departments.

How Will Students Be Affected? USA Today (Lean Left bias) reported that "students with disabilities have been one of the groups most affected by the Education Department's downsizing." It also quoted the president of the Education Department's union, who said, "This will leave our most vulnerable students and families who have been shut out of our education system without the services they need and without protection when they face discrimination."

The Hill (Center) also highlighted criticism about the DOJ's handling of discrimination, writing that "some say that DOJ's efforts to crack down on antisemitism at college campuses by revoking federal funds and enlisting demands for the reinstatement of government grants raise concerns about fair oversight of cases involving reports of discrimination."

Is the Change Permanent? According to Washington Examiner (Lean Right), an expert in education policy said that interagency agreements matter "because the next Democratic president would then have to cancel them, and then they would have to spend a lot of time and energy unwinding them and moving people back." However, the Examiner also noted that "it remains to be seen if McMahon can achieve her goal of kicking herself out of a job," as some of the layoffs she sought in 2025 received legal pushback, and she received a $79 billion budget from Congress.

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