AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Parents of kids with disabilities are used to fighting - fighting for understanding, for acceptance and for resources. And that is why so many of them fear the possible elimination of the Department of Education. That's the federal agency that distributes federal funds meant to help educate kids with disabilities. Now, to be clear, eliminating the Department of Education does not mean the funding will go away entirely. Still, many parents are very concerned.
And one of those parents is Kristy Hedler. Her son, Kellen, has Down syndrome and receives special education services at school. Kristy is also a parent services advocate at the nonprofit Oklahoma Parents for Student Achievement. Welcome.
KRISTY HEDLER: Thank you so much.
CHANG: So as this country is preparing for what could be major changes to the Department of Education, what are you personally watching for? What are you most worried about when it comes to the rights of students with disabilities?
HEDLER: My biggest concern is the fear of the unknown. We currently have a system that, you know, IDEA still is not fully funded.
CHANG: IDEA, that's the federal law that helps ensure that children with disabilities get the resources they need in public education, correct?
HEDLER: Yes. With that still not being funded, you know, we have had to consistently fight to make sure that our children with disabilities are receiving the services and supports that they're legally entitled to. And one of the biggest concerns with the Department of Education potentially being dismantled is, what is going to happen when that federal oversight is removed and that power is given to the states? And so I'm concerned that some states will really prioritize making sure that these students continue receiving a quality education, while others will focus more on cutting the budget for those students and that we will end up in a segregated educational system.
CHANG: A segregated educational system with possible inequities.
HEDLER: Yes.
CHANG: Say more about that because, to be clear, the new Education Secretary Linda McMahon, she has said that this law is going to stay in place, but perhaps the task of implementing it could move to another federal department - perhaps the Department of Health and Human Services. Do you have concerns about the implementation of this law moving to another federal agency?
HEDLER: Yes, I do. My concerns with it moving to a different federal agency is, potentially, the lack of preparedness for that kind of a move. The Department of Health and Human Services, you know, I'm uncertain if they are capable to monitor and enforce special education policies and laws and what happens to the enforcement arms that are currently in place at the Department of Education that provide oversight.
CHANG: Yeah. I mean, some people may not realize the Department of Education also has an Office for Civil Rights that oversees discrimination complaints from students with disabilities. I'm just curious, is that a service that you have ever personally had to rely on, either for your child or for parents that you advocate for?
HEDLER: Yes, we utilize the Office of Civil Rights (ph) when we find that complaints on a state level are not producing the types of outcomes that we really need them to. And it's a very real concern. How are schools and how are these states going to now be accountable for these types of violations? How are they going to be processed? It's concerning to me that losing the Office of Civil Rights could weaken the protections and increase discrimination and inequity for our children with disabilities.
CHANG: When it comes to individual states playing more of a significant role in education - I mean, Secretary McMahon has already said the Department of Education would, quote, "send education back to the states." And I know that you've told us that you and your family would consider leaving Oklahoma depending on the kinds of changes that come from the federal government. Can you explain why you would leave Oklahoma?
HEDLER: There are a lot of states like Oklahoma that I don't feel place the same importance on educating students with disabilities, that they don't see that these are children who are entitled to and deserve an education. And I think Oklahoma is one of those. And that's absolutely something that my family has talked about is, where do we need to go to make sure that Kellen gets the education that he has a legal right to?
CHANG: Kristy Hedler - she's also a parent services advocate at the nonprofit Oklahoma Parents for Student Achievement. Thank you very much for joining us today, Kristy.
HEDLER: Thank you so much for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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