Improving Special Education Services on this 20th Anniversary of IDEA 2004: What the New Administration Must Do (Volume 2, Episode 23)

Davey and Angela use the 20th anniversary of the signing of the last reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), and the coming second Trump administration to analyze, critique, and make recommendations on how to improve special education services in our country’s K-12 schools. Using the December 7, 2024 blog post by Dr. Howie Knoff, your Hosts critique the state of special education in the United States. They highlight the persistent problems that continue to hinder effective services for students with disabilities, such as inadequate funding and a lack of qualified professionals. And they suggest that part of the problem is the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) flawed, sometimes politically-motivated agenda. Much of the discussion focuses on their proposals for a new agenda dedicated to improving student outcomes. Here, they outline the characteristics needed in the next OSEP Director to facilitate the needed systemic changes.