CEC Policy Insider

Policy Insider Schedule

The Policy Insider will be on recess along with the U.S. Congress in the next couple of weeks. The Policy Insider Wednesday digest will resume on September 11, 2019. Enjoy your summer!

Joint Statement on Maintaining Least Restrictive Environment Requirements of IDEA

Last week, a diverse coalition of professional, legal and advocacy organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), met with Department of Education Chief of Staff Nate Bailey, Acting General Counsel Reed Rubenstein and OSERS Assistant Secretary Johnny Collett to discuss what the coalition considered to be an imminent threat of a policy reinterpretation of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) provisions, which is a cornerstone of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The concern was generated by credible information that the Department of Education was planning to alter or reinterpret the law’s presumption -- that all children with disabilities will be educated in the general education classroom; except in the rare circumstance that the student cannot get a satisfactory education in that environment even with supplementary aids and services. Any reinterpretation of LRE would alter or weaken IDEA’s clear requirement that general education must be the first consideration for placement for every student.

At the meeting, the coalition was assured by Mr. Bailey that there would be no such reinterpretation of LRE in the immediate future, and that the Department of Education (Department) would uphold the law. However, he noted that nothing was off the table as part of the Department’s Rethink Framework. The Department provided assurances to the coalition that they would collaborate with stakeholder groups and experts in the field, though the coalition made its opposition clear to any and all reinterpretations of LRE – a basic tenet of IDEA - that could infringe upon the civil rights of children with disabilities.

Read a statement that reflects the position of a broad coalition of stakeholders.

Read a statement of principles on LRE from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Education Task Force.

CEC Celebrates 29th Anniversary of ADA

The Council for Exceptional Children celebrates and recognizes the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA. The ADA is the nation's most comprehensive civil rights law addressing the needs of people with disabilities. The law prohibits disability-based discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. It is a carefully constructed law reflecting compromises that ensure flexibility for covered entities, including the business community while opening the doors of society to people with disabilities.

Over the last 29 years, tremendous strides have been made in removing barriers for people with disabilities to employment, transportation, businesses, public services, and telecommunications. The ADA has enabled society to benefit from the skills, talents, and purchasing power of individuals with disabilities and leads to more productive and inclusive lives for all Americans. Without the ADA, our economy would not have the full benefit of workers with disabilities and our communities would not reflect the full diversity of our nation.

Department of Education List of Correspondence: April 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018

The U.S. Secretary of Education has published a list of correspondence received by individuals during the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2018. The correspondence describes the Department's interpretations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the regulations that implement IDEA. The list and the letters or other documents described in this list containing personally identifiable information redacted, as appropriate, can be found here.

Read All About It!: Special Education Legislative Summit Press Release Available Now

Check out the newly posted press release for the 2019 Special Education Legislative Summit! Then, be sure to personalize the participant press release template to distribute to your own local media outlets. Together, we can make our voices heard!

Read the 2019 SELS Press Release here!