The Story That Needed to Be Told

When the first headlines hit this week, it sounded like the sky was falling.

But the truth is quieter—and scarier.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) didn’t disappear. The law that protects kids with disabilities is still there. But the people who enforce it—the federal staff who monitor compliance, handle complaints, and keep states accountable were cut.

Families still have rights on paper. They just don’t know who to call when those rights are ignored.

This week, The Hechinger Report published the story that finally told it straight:

the oversight vacuum left behind when the federal office responsible for safeguarding special education was gutted during the government shutdown.

“It’s a really gross feeling to know that no one has my back.”

— Parent quoted in The Hechinger Report, Oct 17 2025

For parents, teachers, and advocates, this isn’t a headline. It’s daily life.

We’re already living with strained budgets, delayed evaluations, and impossible waitlists. Now the control tower is empty.

But this story is also a reminder of why we keep showing up.

Accountability doesn’t disappear just because the offices are dark. The work continues in homes, in schools, and in every parent who refuses to let silence win.

Read the full story:

Parents, advocates alarmed as Trump leverages shutdown to gut special education office