There's more fallout from
federal cuts and layoffs
for Wisconsin
this time with cuts to the
U.S. Department of Education.
In the midst of the
government shutdown
the Trump administration
laid off more than
450 employees
in the department
nearly all of them
in the office
that oversees
special education
requirements for states.
While a federal
judge temporarily
paused the mass layoffs
deep concerns remain.
We think that almost
all of the positions were cut
with the exception
of a handful
so from several
hundred down to
under 10.
Well, I was not the first one
to hear about this.
There was a
ripple across the state
over the weekend
on social media
and elsewhere
from families.
Families were the ones
who heard
the news first
and they're
really concerned.
I mean, they're
as you mentioned
we already have
significant problems
with getting enough
special education teachers.
There's a lot
of teachers
on emergency licenses
right now
and school districts
are having a hard time
with budgets
providing the full array
of services that students need
and that are
in their plans.
This is something that
we're really concerned
about moving forward
that there will not be
any enforcement
and that families
and students will suffer.