“The system already fails our kids, so why defend any part of it?”
If you’ve ever
felt that way, I get it.
I’ve felt that same frustration, because the system is failing our kids. AND that’s exactly why these changes to the Department of Education matter so much. They won’t fix the system… they could make it even harder to protect your child.
1. The system that harms
kids is not the Department of Education
The system is the everyday culture inside schools:
💥 low
expectations
💥 segregation
💥 ableism
💥 compliance over children
That is the real barrier.
2. Parents are right: the Department of Ed hasn’t fixed all of this.
❗Kids are still restrained.
❗IEPs are still weak.
❗Evaluations still drag on.
❗OCR is slow.
You’re not imagining that.
Federal oversight has not delivered what families deserve.
That frustration is real.
3. AND removing the Department of Ed doesn’t fix the system. It removes the last layer of accountability we have.
Without it, your child loses:
🔷 IDEA enforcement
🔷 national monitoring
🔷 civil rights protections
🔷 data transparency
🔷 federal investigations
Removing
accountability doesn’t make schools better.
4. Two things can be true at the same time:
The system must change.
And losing federal oversight makes kids even more vulnerable.
This isn’t defending the status quo.
This is preventing harm while we fight for real reform.
5. We both know how hard we work to push against ableism.
That’s why removing federal protections, without a clear
plan to strengthen them, worries me.
It leaves our kids more vulnerable.
This is about protecting the few tools parents have to make schools listen.
And when oversight gets split up,
you lose clarity, leverage, and face an even tougher fight.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. Sign on with the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and 60 national organizations which formally requested oversight hearings. Click here.
2. Call the Congressional Switchboard: (202)
224-3121
Ask to be connected to your Senators and Representative.
3. Use this script (or speak from the
heart):
“Hi, I’m a constituent. I’m calling because I’m concerned about the dismantling of the Department of Education. Moving key offices out of ED puts civil rights protections and services for students with disabilities at risk. I’m asking you to support public,
bipartisan oversight hearings before anything moves forward. Thank you.”
4. Encourage friends and neighbors to do the same.
