The Manufactured Crisis in Special Education: Who Benefits from Fear-Mongering?
Guest Blog by The IEP Parent Coach
For decades, special education has been controlled by bureaucracies, well-connected organizations, and entrenched interests that profit from the dysfunction of the system. Now, as discussions about the potential elimination of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) under a second Trump administration gain momentum, some of the most influential education organizations are spreading fear, misinformation, and panic—particularly to parents of children with disabilities.
However, the reality is clear: The President does not have the authority to eliminate IDEA funding, nor can they change the law without going through Congress.
So why are professional organizations, universities, and research groups pushing the narrative that special education is under immediate threat?
The answer is simple: These organizations have spent decades securing tens of millions of taxpayer dollars through DOE grants, and they do not want that funding to disappear.
The Truth About the Federal Government’s Role in Special Education
The federal government’s role in special education is much smaller than many advocacy organizations would have parents believe.
The U.S. DOE does not create special education law; Congress does. The DOE simply administers funding to states.
The President cannot unilaterally eliminate IDEA funding. Only Congress controls the budget and funding allocations.
The federal government has never provided more than 14 percent of the total cost of IDEA annually. The majority of special education funding comes from state and local budgets.
If the DOE were eliminated, IDEA would still exist. States would still be responsible for providing special education services, just as they are today.
If the actual risk to special education is so minimal, why are advocacy organizations making it sound like a disaster is imminent?
Because they benefit from the fear.
Who Benefits from Spreading Fear?
For years, certain education organizations, universities, and research institutions have been awarded millions of dollars in DOE grants to conduct studies, create policies, and oversee compliance frameworks.
These groups have built an entire industry around controlling the flow of special education funding—without actually improving outcomes for students.
Organizations like the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and hundreds of universities have received tens of millions in taxpayer-funded grants.
Special interest groups influence how federal funds are distributed and which programs receive funding.
These organizations position themselves as the “experts” in special education, yet their involvement has done little to solve its biggest problems.
The organizations telling parents that special education is doomed are the same ones that have been managing it for decades—and failing.
Now that their funding streams could be disrupted, they are resorting to fear tactics to maintain control.
The Narrative of Fear Ignores Key Facts
While these organizations claim that special education funding is at risk, they fail to mention:
Congress, not the President, controls IDEA funding.
If the DOE were eliminated, funding would still be distributed to states—just through a different federal agency.
The largest funding sources for special education are state and local budgets, not the DOE.
The US DOE has absolutely nothing to do with daily operations of schools.
Even with the DOE in place, special education is in crisis. The current system is overly bureaucratic, inefficient, and failing students.
These organizations are not protecting students—they are protecting their funding.
If Special Education is Broken, Why Are We Defending the Status Quo?
For years, the U.S. Department of Education has overseen special education, yet:
Special education teachers are drowning in paperwork.
IEP compliance issues persist, leading to legal battles and due process hearings.
Families struggle to navigate a broken, bureaucratic system.
Outcomes for students with disabilities have not significantly improved.
Why are policymakers and advocacy groups acting as though preserving the status quo is the best option?
Wouldn’t it be better to rethink how special education operates rather than fight to protect a system that clearly is not working?
What Is Really at Stake?
Special education services are not going anywhere. IDEA is federal law, and only Congress can change that.
The real threat is not the elimination of the DOE—it is the continued mismanagement of special education by the same organizations that have overseen its decline.
The conversation should not be about fear-mongering. It should be about how to actually improve special education.
If these organizations truly cared about students, they would be advocating for meaningful reform, not just protecting their funding.
What special education needs is innovation, efficiency, and better outcomes—not more bureaucracy and grant-funded studies that lead nowhere.
A New Approach to Special Education
Instead of clinging to broken systems and bureaucratic inefficiencies, it is time to:
Streamline special education services to reduce administrative bloat and focus on students.
Increase state and local control to ensure better responsiveness to actual community needs.
Eliminate redundant, wasteful spending on studies that do not result in real change.
Invest in innovative solutions that actually help special education professionals—such as AI-powered IEP management, automated compliance tools, and real-time progress monitoring.
Protecting IDEA and ensuring special education funding should always be a priority—but that does not mean defending a broken system.
The real conversation should be about how to make special education work better—not how to protect failed institutions.
Are We Asking the Right Questions?
Instead of panicking over the DOE’s fate, we should be asking:
Why is special education still in crisis after decades of federal oversight?
Why are we defending the same institutions that have controlled special education for years rather than demanding better solutions?
Why are we focused on bureaucracies losing funding rather than whether that funding is actually benefiting students?
Special education does not need fear-mongering—it needs real transformation.
Are we ready to make that change?
About The IEP Parent Coach
The IEP Parent Coach is a parent and child rights organization dedicated to protecting, supporting, and advocating for children with disabilities and their right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
Through education, advocacy, and strategic guidance, The IEP Parent Coach provides extensive tools, training, and resources to ensure that every child with a disability receives the individualized support they need to thrive.
For more information and to access our resources, visit www.iep-parent-coach.com
