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Stevens Joins Bipartisan Push to Fully Fund Special Education Programs During Coronavirus Pandemic

April 6, 2020

WASHINGTON – Last week, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) announced she is joining a bipartisan push to include full funding for special education programs in future COVID-19 relief packages.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), passed in 1975, guarantees a free and appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children. The federal government has consistently fallen short of its funding commitments to states and school districts, leaving special education programs at a disadvantage. In recent weeks, the closure of school buildings in Michigan and across the country has had an outsized impact on students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

“As schools move to remote learning, the resources promised by the federal government in IDEA are even more essential,” wrote a bipartisan group of Members in a letter to House leadership. “The CARES Act is a step in the right direction, but it is necessary that IDEA receives its own designated set aside in any future packages. The comprehensive assessment and support services authorized by IDEA help to close the academic achievement gap and help prepare these students for further education, employment, and independent living. Educators are working overtime to assure their students with disabilities are still receiving a quality and appropriate education, but the challenges to meet this goal are even greater with online learning. Now, more than ever, it is incumbent upon the federal government to provide these resources for special needs students.”

In March, Congresswoman Stevens sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, calling for the Department of Education to provide support to school districts in ensuring accommodations and accessible instructional material for students with disabilities, including ensuring documents and websites are compatible with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and closed captioning videos.

In February, Congresswoman Stevens hosted a town hall discussion focused on the needs of students with disabilities in Michigan’s 11th District.

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