Layoffs Hit Majority of US Special Education Staff

13 Oct, 2025

By Eli Sachs

The U.S. Department of Education has laid off the majority of its Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) staff amid a broader wave of federal job cuts during the ongoing government shutdown. The layoffs, which totaled 466 employees across the department as of Friday, October 10, represent nearly 20% of the agency's already diminished workforce.​

According to multiple department sources and the union representing Education Department employees, nearly all personnel in OSERS were terminated, with the exception of a small group of senior officials and support staff. This office oversees approximately $15 billion in federal funding for special education, ensuring that states deliver necessary services to around 7.5 million children with disabilities nationwide.​

Rachel Gittleman, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, stated that based on reports from staff and their managers, nearly every employee responsible for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been laid off. One department employee told NPR that the cuts are "decimating the office responsible for safeguarding the rights of infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities".​

"Despite extensive efforts to minimize impact on employees and programs during the ongoing government shutdown, the continued lapse in funding has made it necessary to implement the RIF (reduction in force)," according to a letter issued to workers.​

The layoffs have raised serious concerns among advocacy organizations about the federal government's ability to maintain oversight of special education services. IDEA, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, is a civil rights statute that ensures all children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education. The law requires states to submit annual student data to OSERS staff to demonstrate compliance, along with plans and applications for billions of dollars in IDEA funding.​

Chad Rummel, executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, called the near elimination of the Office for Special Education Programs "absolutely devastating to the education of people with disabilities". The National Association of State Directors of Special Education warned that if the layoffs are confirmed, "there is significant risk that not only will federal funding lapse, but children with disabilities will be deprived" of free and proper education.​

The recent cuts add to previous workforce reductions at the Education Department under the Trump administration. In March 2025, the agency laid off 1,300 employees, or nearly 50% of its workforce, which Education Secretary Linda McMahon described as a "significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system".​

The department's workforce has now shrunk from approximately 4,133 employees when President Trump took office in January 2025 to fewer than 2,000 following the latest round of layoffs. Nearly 90% of remaining Education Department staff are currently furloughed due to the government shutdown.​​

The Trump administration has indicated that the layoffs are part of an effort to pressure congressional Democrats to resolve the ongoing budget impasse that triggered the government shutdown. The shutdown, which began on October 1, is approaching its third week as Congress remains deadlocked on funding negotiations.​

The layoffs are currently being contested in court by the American Federation of Government Employees and other national labor unions. Their lawsuit, filed in San Francisco, alleges that the government's budgeting and personnel offices exceeded their authority by mandating agencies to implement layoffs in response to the shutdown. Terminated employees have been notified they will remain on the job until December 9.​

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