This was sent in an email from the RIPIN Communications Team on 10/14/2025 and republished here for wide readership. Please forgive formatting errors.
| U.S. Department of Education Layoffs Put Special Education at Risk |
| Warwick, RI — RIPIN is alarmed by reports indicating that the U.S. Department of Education has terminated nearly the entire department that works on special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This department is known as the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and the layoffs are effective December 9th. Mass layoffs at OSEP pose real risks to special education for students with disabilities. States, districts, students, and families rely on OSEP to ensure that special education works. OSEP plays a critical role in distributing funding to states and to nonprofits that help families, updating and clarifying federal rules, identifying and disseminating best practices, and ensuring that schools and districts follow federal law. The IDEA is the foundational Civil Rights law that ensures students with disabilities have the support they need in school to help them succeed. “Without a team at OSEP, the IDEA risks becoming an empty shell,” said Sam Salganik, RIPIN’s Executive Director. “Success in special education requires collaboration between all levels of government: federal, state, and local. Families may not notice the impact of these cuts in one week or one month, but make no mistake, without federal expertise and support, schools, families, and students will suffer in the long run.” RIPIN is working with partners to try to get this harmful action rescinded. Please stay tuned for updates about how you can get involved. Students and families need OSEP. These layoffs should not change anything about the services that students with disabilities are currently receiving from their schools. RIPIN’s team remains available for Rhode Island families who need support navigating special education. RIPIN 401.270.0101 info@ripin.org  Founded in 1991, RIPIN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps thousands of Rhode Islanders each year with health care, special education, and healthy aging. RIPIN uses a model of peer professional support—more than three-fourths of RIPIN’s staff are caregivers of a loved one with special health care or special education needs. For more information about RIPIN and its mission, please visit the organization’s website at www.ripin.org. |