You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been talking about public education a lot lately. It’s absolutely crucial not just for teachers, not just suburban women, not just parents, but all Americans. Our democracy depends on an educated populace.
If Trump and Linda McMahon are allowed to dismantle the Department of Education, so many kids will slip through the cracks - including millions of kids who are currently protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. And it’s not some closely-guarded secret… they’re openly saying that they want to leave disabled kids behind.
On an episode of Fox News’ “The Five,” Democrat Jessica Tarlov was expressing concern that Republicans’ “send it back to the states” model for public education wouldn’t include disabled kids. And one of the right-wing hosts, Greg Gutfeld, immediately responded with a shockingly glib comment: “that’s because we’re against it.”
They’ve gone beyond saying the quiet part out loud. They’re saying it proudly now. The Republican model for public education will not include disabled kids because they don’t care whether those kids get an education. Private schools and voucher programs aren’t obligated to educate those students - and that’s not by accident, it’s by design. And just to be clear - this includes any children with a learning disability, behavioral or attention problem. This could include a child who is slightly behind on learning how to read, or maybe they just need a quieter setting to take tests. These children will be left behind.
This wasn’t always such a partisan issue. Republican Senator Bob Dole was one of the champions of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, and it was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. President Bush signed IDEA into law that same year. But MAGA and other right-wing extremists today don’t seem to have the same empathy.
You can learn more about the Department of Education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act here, if you missed our episode of “Okay But Why” last week. This fight is far from over, but knowledge is power.
In fact, that’s the whole point.
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