PEACE NW

NCD will take part in the 2026 National American Indian Disability Symposium July 16-17. The two-day virtual gathering focuses on community, kinship, and inclusion. Register in advance at: bit.ly/NativeSymposium26

Coming up the week of July 13 - July 17. Visit www.peacenw.org for more info!

📢 **What Families Need to Know About the OSERS Reorganization**

Recently, many families have reached out with questions about the federal reorganization involving the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). We know change at the federal level can feel uncertain, especially when it involves services and supports for children with disabilities.

To help provide clarity, we've created a simple summary highlighting the key messages shared during the **July 2026 OSERS Partnership Meeting** by Kelly Rogers, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary of OSERS.

**The biggest takeaway:**
✅ **Students' rights under IDEA are NOT changing because of this reorganization.**

According to the information shared during the meeting:
• IDEA remains federal law.
• Parent rights remain unchanged.
• Students continue to have the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
• IEPs, evaluations, procedural safeguards, and complaint processes remain in place.
• The changes discussed are intended to strengthen collaboration between agencies—not reduce protections for students or families.

We hope this resource helps answer some of the questions we've been hearing from families.

📌 **Disclaimer:** This summary was created from notes taken during the public July 2026 OSERS Partnership Meeting. The notes were organized and summarized with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve readability and accessibility. While every effort was made to accurately reflect the information presented, this is **not an official transcript or statement from the U.S. Department of Education or OSERS**. Families seeking official guidance should refer to communications released directly by the U.S. Department of Education.

💙 At PEACE NW, we're committed to helping families understand special education and disability-related information so they can confidently advocate for themselves and their loved ones. If you have questions about IDEA, IEPs, or your child's educational rights, we're here to help.