Federal Legislation & News
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DC: DC Schools discriminated against students with disabilities, OCR finds
The 74 The District of Columbia Public Schools violated the civil rights of students with disabilities and created an “adversarial system,” that often forces families to sue in order for their kids to receive services, the U.S. Department of Education announced...
LA: LA GATOR serves many poor students, few with disabilities
nola.com Nearly all of the students who participated in Louisiana’s new private choice program come from low-income families, but just 4% have diagnosed disabilities, according to state data. Note: Requires subscription.
MI: Advocates want more resources to boost inclusion of special education students
Spartan Newsroom Michigan spends about $2.8 billion annually on special education, yet outcomes for students with disabilities remain uneven and among the lowest in the nation, according to a recent benchmark report from the Autism Alliance of Michigan. Advocates say...
NC: Wake school board to meet over $18 million special education cut
Durham Herald Sun Wake County school board chair Tyler Swanson has scheduled a special board meeting on Tuesday to discuss a controversial proposed $18 million cut to the special education budget. This week, school administrators announced the cut, which will result...
WI: Vos says he’s open to boosting special education funding as part of plan to spend budget surplus
State Affairs Pro Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Assembly Democrats’ $1.3 billion proposal to spend down the state’s surplus “wasn’t serious,” but he was “open to” spending more on special education. Democrats on Monday proposed to increase general school aid by...
ED Finds DC Public Schools Violates Rights of Students with Disabilities
In a public announcement last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found that the District of Columbia Public School System (DCPS) has extensively violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Title II...
Bipartisan Briefing Highlights Impacts of Federal Investments on Childcare
The First Five Years Fund, in partnership with the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, convened the “ABCs of Federal Early Learning and Child Care” briefing on March 17th. House Caucus Co-Chairs, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Rep. Susan Bonamici (D-OR),...
Reading Bill Receives Bipartisan Support From House Education Committee
The Science of Reading Act of 2026 (H.R. 7890), authored by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN), was passed by the House Education and Workforce Committee with bipartisan support. The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by adding a definition of the...
Governors promote special education initiatives in annual addresses
K-12 Dive Special education initiatives were a priority for several governors in their annual state of state addresses — including in Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania — at a time when the national count of students with disabilities continues to rise and as...
Should Kids Be Banned from Social Media?
Australia just made it a law. Troy has thoughts — and some receipts. The Law Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 bans anyone under 16 from creating or holding accounts on social media platforms. Companies — not parents — are...