Special Needs Students Will Bear Brunt Of Federal Cuts, CA Teachers' Union Warns

CALIFORNIA — When Jeff Freitas was a math teacher in Carpenteria, he once had a blind student in his class. Despite the challenges of navigating high school with a disability, he went on to become valedictorian.

That meant that every lesson plan, every test, every worksheet had to be adapted to Braille with the help of trained staff and extra planning, Freitas told Patch.

"What if that special education teacher, that person providing those services wasn't around?" he asked.

The Trump Administration's executive order on Thursday to gut the Department of Education could have devastating consequences for public school students with special needs, according to Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers.

The action must still be approved by Congress.

"It would just devastate our schools," he said.

Last week, the Education Department said it would lay off 1,300 employees. But if the department is fully dismantled, it could result in tens of thousands of education workers losing their jobs in California, Freitas warned.

Eliminating the department could also mean cutting the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is the "main federal statute governing special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities,” according to the Congressional Research Service. IDEA provides about $1.6 billion to more than 805,000 students across California, Freitas said.

The finer points of the president's plans remain unclear. However, the U.S Department of Education on Thursday issued a statement intend to reassure communities about the closure.

“Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them—we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs," the department announced in a written statement. "We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition."

California Sen. Adam Schiff refuted the education department's claim.

"Today's illegal act by the Trump Administration will have disastrous consequences for our schools," Schiff predicted. "It will mean less resources for special education, for teacher training and for individualized attention to the learning needs of each child. That these cuts are made to fund a tax cut for large corporations makes the sacrifice of our schools even more unbearable."

California's second largest teacher's union also remains skeptical.

The cuts, Freitas emphasized, aren't happening in isolation. They come alongside proposed reductions to Title I — which supports low-income students — and Medicaid, which many special education students rely on for healthcare services.

Title I supports about 6.7 million students in California, Frietas said.

Concerns for public schools, which are already plagued by underfunding, come as the White House and its Department of Government Efficiency say they are working to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget.

President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed Thursday, directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities,” to the extent permitted by law.

"The American people did not vote for chaotic and reckless attacks on our public schools and on our students," Freitas said. "That's not what they voted for."

A Blow to Special Education Services

IDEA funding is critical in ensuring that students with disabilities receive the legally mandated support necessary for their education, Freitas said.

"You're going to see fewer adults in the classroom, fewer teachers, fewer instructional aides," he said. "You're going to see classrooms balloon in size. They just could be overcrowded — wall to wall."

The law guarantees students access to Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), which outline the services, accommodations and instructional strategies they need to succeed. But Freitas says that IEPs require input from teachers, specialists and para-professionals — staffing that is already stretched thin in California.

One of the most immediate concerns is the impact on special education para-professionals — aides who work alongside students with disabilities in the classroom.

According to Freitas, if funding cuts lead to job losses among these workers, it will severely limit schools’ ability to fulfill the needs outlined in students’ IEPs.

"We're going to have increased mental health and behavioral challenges from students with the lack of assistance from adults," he said.

Disproportionate Impact on Low-Income Families

If Congress backs the White House's action to tear down the education department, Freitas worries that wealthier parents will have the resources to ensure their children continue receiving necessary services while low-income families would likely face greater challenges.

"It's just going to devastate [low-income] students with disabilities," Freitas said. "And it's a clear signal from the Trump administration that this country's public education is not for every student, only for the wealthy families who are entitled to these future opportunities."

If Medicaid cuts are also implemented, families who rely on the program for critical medical and therapeutic services — often tied directly to students’ IEPs — could see their children’s care disrupted.

“High-income parents can fight to make sure their kids get what they need, but low-income parents don’t have that luxury,” Freitas said. “If their children lose access to services, they won't have the legal or financial resources to push back.”

A Crisis in the Making?

California has long struggled with chronic underfunding of special education, Freitas said, adding that he fears that these additional cuts will only deepen existing inequities.

The California Federation of Teachers and other education advocates aren't just urging state and federal lawmakers to push back against these cuts, they're urging the public to speak up.

"Everybody, whether you have a student in public education or not, should write their congressperson saying 'no cuts to the Department of Education, no cuts to special education, no cuts to Title I,' he said. "The public needs to write their legislator."

Freitas says the union is taking action by planning to assist the American Federation of Teachers in filing lawsuits against the cuts and mass layoffs ahead.

"And then there's our politicians," he said. "They've got to stand up strong and say 'no,' he said.

Freitas also said the union has been hosting rallies to raise awareness and make noise about the issue. One such event drew some 400 teachers, parents and more in San Diego last week.

As the debate over federal education funding continues, the fate of California’s special education programs remains uncertain. But for educators and advocates like Freitas, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

"This is about the students and the educators of California," he said. "We're standing in the streets, we're filing lawsuits and we're going to be in the political arena."

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that the California Federation of Teachers is the largest teacher union in the state. It is the second largest.