As President Donald Trump’s nomination for the head of the United States Department of Education approaches confirmation, her knowledge of special education raises concerns. Late last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted 12 to 11 along party lines to send Linda McMahon’s nominee for Secretary of Education to the entire Senate. Trump, who has threatened to close the Education Department, said that the former WWE executive should “put herself out of a job.”
During her confirmation hearings, McMahon supported sweeping changes, stating that she wants to “reorient” the agency and return control of education to the states, though she noted that Congress would need to act to close the department entirely. “We’d like to do this right,” she told senators. “We’d like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with.”
McMahon argued that oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act should be placed outside of the Education Department. Instead, she said it should be overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, when asked who would monitor the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act if the Education Department closed, McMahon stressed the importance of retaining funding for disability services, saying only that “the programs have to have accountability.”
McMahon was similarly vague when asked what IDEA provided disabled students. “It promises that we’re going to take care of these students, that they’re going to be provided with assistance that they have in the school rooms, the technology they need,” she said. McMahon also proposed relocating the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, which handles complaints about disability discrimination in schools, to the Justice Department.
The proposals come as big changes are already underway at the Education Department, which is being targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The Trump administration has announced about $2 billion in cuts to education research, teacher training programs, and other government initiatives. In addition, approximately 130 people, including some special education staff, have apparently been fired or placed on administrative leave.
Advocates have warned that moves to dissolve the agency may have a massive impact on the nation’s 7.5 million special education students . Every year, the Education Department contributes billions of dollars in federal funding for special education to states, and it is in charge of services ranging from early intervention for disabled children to vocational rehabilitation. The agency is also responsible for protecting the civil rights of disabled students McMahon’s Senate appearances thus far have left disability advocates worried.
“We have deep concern with the nominee. We are not confident she will uphold all tenets and requirements of key federal education, disability and civil rights statutes,” said Denise S. Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, or COPAA, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of disabled students and their families. “Her disturbingly vague answers about the purpose of these laws combined with the proposal to move IDEA’s functions to the nation’s health agency, demonstrates both her lack of expertise and willingness to wreak havoc on the school systems that provide educational access and opportunity for millions of children with disabilities in thousands of school districts across the U.S.”
The American Association of People with Disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network are also encouraging senators to oppose McMahon’s confirmation, noting her lack of knowledge of federal regulations that benefit disabled students. In addition, McMahon faces scrutiny from the National Education Association, which represents millions of educators.
“McMahon took every opportunity to reiterate her plans to move forward with dismantling programs that will harm our most vulnerable and underserved students,” said Becky Pringle, president of the group. “If this anti-public education agenda is enacted, students will face larger class sizes; see fewer resources for at-risk students, the loss of vital services for students with disabilities; cuts to job-training programs, increased costs for higher education; and a rollback of basic civil rights protections.”
However, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the Senate education committee, says McMahon offers an opportunity for needed change. “If confirmed, Ms. McMahon has the tall task of reforming a Department of Education that has lost its purpose. For the last four years, the department focused on everything but student learning. Its bureaucracy and red tape stand in the way of student success,” Cassidy said. “We need a strong leader at the department who will get our education system back on track. Ms. McMahon is the right person for the job.”
As a former special education student myself, I was able to receive an education because of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and The Department of Education. In school, I had an IEP. I received biweekly PT sessions, and assistive technology. I also had a paraprofessional throughout my school years.
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a federally mandated plan. The IEP team includes parents, teachers, school administrators, service personnel/paraprofessionals, and students (where appropriate) collaborating to develop accommodations and services for a disabled student.
Without my IEP and IDEA, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to go to school alongside my nondisabled peers. I attended local schools from preschool to twelfth grade. I had access to so many different opportunities because I attended local schools. I had many wonderful teachers, therapists, and paraprofessionals as well.
Disabled students should have access to the services and support they need. In the United States, disabled students have the right to a free and appropriate public education. Linda McMahon’s confirmation as the head of the United States Department of Education, coupled with the the potential abolishment of the Department of Education will only make it harder for disabled students to receive an education.
Sources:
Baumel, Jan “What Is an IEP?” GreatSchools, 8 Mar. 2023, http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/what-is-an-iep/.
Diament, Michelle. “How Trump’s Plan to Close the ED Department Might Impact Students with Disabilities.” Disability Scoop, Disability Scoop, 18 Nov. 2024, http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2024/11/18/how-trumps-plan-to-close-the-ed-department-might-impact-students-with-disabilities/31170/.
Diament, Michelle. “Trump’s Pick for Education Secretary Proposes Offloading Special Ed.” Disability Scoop, Disability Scoop, 24 Feb. 2025, http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/02/24/trumps-pick-for-education-secretary-proposes-offloading-special-ed/31314/.
Hollingsworth, Heather, et al. “Kids’ Disability Rights Cases Stalled as Trump Began to Overhaul Education Department.” AP News, AP News, 20 Feb. 2025, apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560.
Perez, Juan. “Fired Education Department Employees Include Special Education Staff.” PoliticoPro, PoliticoPro, 13 Feb. 2025, subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/02/fired-education-department-employees-include-special-education-staff-00204106.