OPB

The deal Congress reached to re-open the federal government requires the Trump administration to reinstate federal workers who were fired in October, including those charged with overseeing the nation’s special education laws. But it’s not clear how long they’ll be back. As NPR has reported, the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) inside the U.S. Department of Education is the central nervous system for programs that support students with disabilities. It not only offers guidance to families but also oversees state compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). OSERS can’t do its job without staff, and, according to a new Education Department filing, the office lost 121 of its 135 employees in the October reduction-in-force. That matters because, while Wednesday’s funding agreement will return those workers to “employment status” as of Sept. 30, there appears to be little protecting them after Jan. 30, when that provision expires. “We are concerned special education will cease to exist,” says Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities.