On October 23, 2025, NAPSA signed on to a letter sent to U.S. Senators Cassidy and Sanders claiming that through Reduction in Force (RIF) actions and incentives to exit the federal workforce, U.S. Secretary of Education McMahon has broken "longstanding precedent around the Department’s statutorily required duties to provide fiscal…
Abe Saffer, Federal Affairs 10/24/2025 Recent policy discussions from the administration and other policymakers have proposed transferring the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Here are eight reasons the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) believes…
As rumors swirled that special education programs could soon be leaving their longtime home at the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), a spokesperson has confirmed the USDE is “exploring additional partnerships” with other federal agencies to support this programming. Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications, in an email to…
NAPSA Joins a Broad Coalition Across the Nation and States Calling Upon the Administration and Congress to Protect Children with Disabilities, Reverse Layoffs, and Uphold Access to Key Educational Services October 22, 2025 Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of national, state, and local disability, civil rights, and education organizations…
On October 15, 2025, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately stop the mass firing of federal employees during the current government shutdown caused by Congress’ impasse over fiscal year 2026 funding. The Trump administration cannot issue any additional reduction in force (RIF) notices, and it cannot enforce…
It has been reported that on October 11, 2025, 466 employees at an already depleted U.S. Department of Education (USDE) have been furloughed. Unconfirmed reports say that only two employees are left at the Office of Elementary and Secondary Ed. (OESE), and two are left at the Office of Special Education…
According to a lawsuit filed October 10, 2025 by the Global Village Academy Collaborative, President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas risks worsening the nation’s teacher shortage by keeping affected schools from hiring teachers from other countries. The Global Village Academy Collaborative is a public nonprofit that oversees…
On October 7, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kimberly Richey as the next assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education in a 51-47 vote along party lines. The approval came as part of a resolution allowing senators to consider for confirmation Richey and over 100 other…
As the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) changes the way things have been done, states and school districts have pushed back by filing lawsuits. Historically, the USDE and its funding recipients have usually collaborated to resolve civil rights complaints, but recently that has not been the case. As a result,…
As the government shutdown moves forward, many are wondering what impact it will have on K-12 schools. The shutdown officially commenced at midnight EST on October 1st when the new fiscal year was to begin. Initially, the shutdown is expected to have fairly imperceptible impact on schools and school districts,…
