October 13, 2025
The wave of layoffs nearly axed all employees within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has laid off almost all employees in the special education office as the government shutdown wages on.
The layoffs at the federal agency began with a first wave on Oct. 10, essentially affecting the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. According to its official website, the OSER managed federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, supporting programs that assist people of all ages with disabilities.
According to its Union representatives, most employees in the OSER below the leadership level were terminated. Rachel Gittleman, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, told USA Today that the workforce reduction is an attempt by the government to “double down” on its harmful policies for U.S. students.
“Based on multiple reports from staff and their managers, we believe that all remaining staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), including the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA), have been illegally fired,” shared Gittleman, as detailed by NPR.
A court filing by the Justice Department detailed that the layoffs included more than 460 employees, while official estimates by the Education Department have not been disclosed. Other offices also impacted by the reduction mandate included workers who oversaw the TRIO college access program. The layoffs, prompted by the shutdown, aim to pressure Democrats in Congress to end the government shutdown.
The news comes as almost 90% of current workers at the Education Department have faced furloughs. Now, as the OSER grapples with severely limited staffing, those left voiced their concerns on how they will proceed with their programming.
“The system is designed to happen at the school level, with oversight from the district, with oversight from the state, and then with oversight from the federal level,” shared Glenna Wright-Gallo, who served as assistant secretary in the office from 2023 to 2025, to the news outlet.
“Now we’re losing that checks and balances system.”
Furthermore, Education Secretary Linda McMahon had previously stated that support for disabled individuals remains a top priority for the Trump Administration despite plans to overhaul the department’s budget. The government also hopes to push this responsibility onto the states. However, some experts fear that no federal oversight could negatively impact disabled children’s education experiences.
“The concept of leaving special education up to states sounds great, but it’s scary. What happens if one state decides to interpret the law one way, but another state disagrees and interprets it differently?” questioned one state director of special education to NPR, who wished to remain anonymous.
Now, parents must advocate at both the state and local levels to ensure their children and loved ones have the resources and support for a quality education.
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