[Simtrainer-l] Call to Action regarding U.S. DOE

[Washburn, Jocelyn Christine]

Dear SIM Network,

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Public Law 94-142, known today as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Administration has issued an Executive Order to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. This would mean sending all policy, law, programming, and services, including IDEA, to other federal agencies without expertise on education issues.

The Center for Research on Learning at KU began in 1978 as one of five U.S. DOE funded institutes to research the type of instruction adolescents with learning disabilities require for access to the curriculum and their life aspirations. What we know today about effective instruction is possible due to federal funding. At this time, our grant funded projects continue to be operational, and we will continue to conduct research until we are told otherwise.

As a SIM network, we are advocates for students with disabilities and the support schools need to serve them. Your voice makes a difference! We hope you will make your voice heard as professional developers, teachers, instructional coaches, school administrators, and advocates for essential rights and services. Make your story personal.

Dismantling the Department of Education may have detrimental effects at all educational levels including:

  *   Loss of federal protections of students’ rights,
  *   Loss of direct, dedicated funding for special education services,
  *   Loss of personnel preparation funding during an existing nationwide shortage of special education professionals,
  *   Loss of the commitment of our nation to provide education for all in equitable and inclusive environments, and
  *   Loss of essential research funding to advance the field of special education.
We urge policymakers to unequivocally reject these attempts to close the Department of Education. Make your voice heard here through the CEC Action Center now<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fz5qlwicab.cc.rs6.net%2Ftn.jsp%3Ff%3D0011LND646glzNuWuLp83Xgv9BWMeEYTofZwIYmHG1fQqq7qWsuvzdvZC9SkoBjIrG2ePgBo7MqQYC0ZH7HoniW67TYBBrJ07gNiiJdM_Z-kHnaKtmG14TFhfkdaGMIG2UkDyg7yIGyiLIf9ozERgECCcWeh5yA_R0cUilxcYNC9NsqFLC10ywrRyqTavwhuXhmxu81rhNDgYqSFNnWx3-ynWrWNDZu4swskSj8GBsO88I%3D%26c%3DrS5sWw2iMqswOs5czDLiry0Jnozu6FHuqcpNhDokqVcu9RlpdCHwDw%3D%3D%26ch%3DA4XVBfomFST15d8-a1VM2XTazwUscQry8phlvt8BME0W8YS8FiUrmw%3D%3D&data=05%7C02%7Csimtrainer-l%40lists.ku.edu%7C7266018883e04a5c9d4e08dd688a615a%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638781665721307302%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5E4jpfts0I45UaCpj%2FtQL5q9kNDF0b2ix8Ca5Ybi7zI%3D&reserved=0>: https://exceptionalchildren.org/lac?vvsrc=/Campaigns/121668/Respond<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fz5qlwicab.cc.rs6.net%2Ftn.jsp%3Ff%3D0011LND646glzNuWuLp83Xgv9BWMeEYTofZwIYmHG1fQqq7qWsuvzdvZC9SkoBjIrG2ePgBo7MqQYC0ZH7HoniW67TYBBrJ07gNiiJdM_Z-kHnaKtmG14TFhfkdaGMIG2UkDyg7yIGyiLIf9ozERgECCcWeh5yA_R0cUilxcYNC9NsqFLC10ywrRyqTavwhuXhmxu81rhNDgYqSFNnWx3-ynaCmc_eXYZJhnMs4J1W3Jt8%3D%26c%3DrS5sWw2iMqswOs5czDLiry0Jnozu6FHuqcpNhDokqVcu9RlpdCHwDw%3D%3D%26ch%3DA4XVBfomFST15d8-a1VM2XTazwUscQry8phlvt8BME0W8YS8FiUrmw%3D%3D&data=05%7C02%7Csimtrainer-l%40lists.ku.edu%7C7266018883e04a5c9d4e08dd688a615a%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638781665721322845%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=mb3CivuwFdFVmpEc%2F2JpmCeGSKoGBHjvJ1MiIDkTzaY%3D&reserved=0>

To read the Executive Order in full: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/ <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fz5qlwicab.cc.rs6.net%2Ftn.jsp%3Ff%3D0011LND646glzNuWuLp83Xgv9BWMeEYTofZwIYmHG1fQqq7qWsuvzdvZC9SkoBjIrG2EzjrQdqSSaL1XEvuUc5CD3Q9SA9bTCRTTXJYQpH17yTaDY2CWlA0HvvUDaGJo3Km7_Mfd4osRq3Vv_DzbP2Vn36hXW-UZ66EwSWsRVUuJMDomsv2J9pemMA8OmvLRoB48-IXmfTZ1QJxu9WseAA4qD-NedEjBKM2%26c%3DrS5sWw2iMqswOs5czDLiry0Jnozu6FHuqcpNhDokqVcu9RlpdCHwDw%3D%3D%26ch%3DA4XVBfomFST15d8-a1VM2XTazwUscQry8phlvt8BME0W8YS8FiUrmw%3D%3D&data=05%7C02%7Csimtrainer-l%40lists.ku.edu%7C7266018883e04a5c9d4e08dd688a615a%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638781665721331119%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GZoavsbqxe855%2FvgJkYZeIRjl54J7fxp0J1eHzbtWJI%3D&reserved=0>

Jocelyn Washburn

--
Jocelyn Washburn, Ph.D.
Director of Professional Development
Associate Director
Assistant Research Professor
University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning
Home of the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM™)
https://sim.ku.edu<https://sim.ku.edu/>
https://kucrl.ku.edu/aplm-online
https://kucrl.ku.edu/istar-project
785-864-0622

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