As PTA leaders plan for the new school year, one National PTA position statement belongs on your board’s agenda. “The Federal Government’s Role in Education,” adopted by the 2026 National PTA Board of Directors, sets out what PTA believes the U.S. Department of Education must do. It also gives PTAs a clear basis for speaking up when those duties are at risk. (1)
What the statement says
National PTA holds that the federal government should supplement the work states and local communities do to educate children. The statement names three core duties for the Department:
- Distributing and overseeing federal education funding, with priority for students with the greatest needs, including students with disabilities
- Enforcing federal education and civil rights laws, including IDEA, Title IX and Section 504
- Conducting research and collecting data to guide education policy and practice
The association “strongly opposes the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education,” including dismantling it through staff layoffs or redirected funding. The statement also opposes using interagency agreements to hand the Department’s core duties to agencies that lack the staffing, expertise or resources to run education programs.
Why it matters right now
On June 16, the administration announced agreements moving much of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and much of the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice. (2) Federal special education staff were scheduled to begin working at HHS in September, (3) and the HHS agreement runs through September 2027. (4) This is the situation the position statement warns against.
What it means for Washington
About 165,000 Washington students receive special education services. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has said it does not expect the transition to disrupt special education services, supports or IDEA funding for now, and students’ rights under IDEA have not changed. (5) Still, families may have questions this fall about where to turn.
WSPTA has its own position. Resolution 18.40, Equitable Access and Improved Outcomes for Students with Disabilities, commits WSPTA and its local PTAs and councils to advocate at the federal, state and district levels for full funding of special education services, for educating students with disabilities alongside their peers in the least restrictive environment, and for giving families the information they need to make informed decisions about their child’s education. (6)
How PTA leaders can use National PTA’s position statement
- Put it on your board’s agenda. Share the statement with your board and discuss where it connects to your PTA’s goals this year.
- Point families to the right help. When families ask about IEPs or services, direct them to OSPI’s special education family guidance: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/special-education/family-engagement-and-guidance
- Use it when you speak up. Draw on the statement and WSPTA Resolution 18.40 when you talk with decision-makers about federal education policy.
- Get involved. Contact our Federal Legislative Chair at FedLeg@wastatepta.org and join the #federal channel in the WSPTA Advocacy Slack. Sign up here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/JRuUkmYDme
References
- National PTA, “The Federal Government’s Role in Education”: https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/ptas-positions/Individual-Position-Statements/fed-gov-role-in-education
- NPR, June 16, 2026: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/nx-s1-5717030/special-ed-civil-rights-education-department
- NPR, Sept. 9, 2026: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/09/nx-s1-5962899/special-education-kelly-rogers-resigns
- KPBS/NPR, Sept. 24, 2026: https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/09/24/the-education-dept-hasnt-been-dismantled-its-become-more-inefficient-staff-say