Special Education Law Needs Reform

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that governs the regulation and funding of special education. Recently, lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced identical bills that would add dyslexia as its own category to IDEA, signaling an appetite to comprehensively reauthorize the law for the first time since 2004 — a much-needed initiative.

While its provisions rightly won access to schooling for students with disabilities — a demographic once turned away from many public schools — IDEA’s imperfections are increasing the strain on American classrooms.

About the Author

Daniel Buck

Daniel Buck is a research fellow and the director of the Conservative Education Reform Network at the American Enterprise Institute.

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Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that governs the regulation and funding of special education. Recently, lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced identical bills that would add dyslexia as its own category to IDEA, signaling an appetite to comprehensively reauthorize the law for the first time since 2004 — a much-needed initiative.

While its provisions rightly won access to schooling for students with disabilities — a demographic once turned away from many public schools — IDEA’s imperfections are increasing the strain on American classrooms.