My son is a thriving middle school student with autism whose success has depended on the support of special education teachers and an individual education plan (IEP). At 4 years old, he started his school journey in a public preschool, which receives 64% of its funding from state and local sources, and 36% federal spending. His classroom was designed for students with disabilities and those considered at risk. Because of this preschool, which has won multiple awards for quality and excellence, he was better prepared for the rest of his school career and beyond.
The U.S. Department of Education oversees federal funding for students with disabilities attending public schools, including my son. This includes the aforementioned preschool program, his current special education program and his highly qualified teachers. Earlier this month, the department laid off over 1,300 staff members. The president, who is moving toward dismantling the DOE, is framing such actions as an effort to eliminate “waste.” This narrative misrepresents the department’s role in overseeing critical programs, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Without this funding, my son — along with 7.5 million other students in the United States — would lose the protection of special education services. Moving funding from the DOE to Health and Human Services, as Linda MacMahon has proposed, will disrupt the flow of resources to local school districts, disregarding the DOE’s years of experience managing these funding allocations. Such a move would have the most harmful impact on students with disabilities bearing the brunt of the disruption.
What will our public schools look like without the $15 billion currently used nationally to support students with disabilities? We can look to history for the answer. Prior to the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 (later renamed IDEA), many children with disabilities were barred entry to public schools or placed in institutions that offered little to no educational opportunity. Instead of getting support, they were excluded, isolated and had fewer opportunities for future independence and employment. Returning to a time before IDEA protected and funded students with disabilities would be a devastating reversal of progress, stripping away the rights and opportunities parents like me have fought for over decades.
Abby Schindler, Institute on Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago
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Jewish community is being used to silence protest
As a Jewish American, I am upset that my religion is being used to justify a crackdown on free speech at college campuses. President Donald Trump has never won the Jewish vote, but his MAGA base is pro-Israel. And some of them seem to have arrogated to themselves the right to speak on behalf of “the Jews,” whom they tend to view as a Borg-like hive mind with only one concern — Israel — and only one point of view on that matter. A fair-minded debate on how to balance free speech and the rights of Jewish students is badly needed, but Trump’s inquisition is not that.
Malcolm Litowitz, Highland Park
Doing away with the Sun-Times’ ‘heart and soul’
It was a sad day for Chicago journalism when the Sun-Times announced this week that there would be no more editorial board content in its newspaper. Oh for sure, there will still be an “opinions” page with lots of different opinions coming from all quarters of Chicago. Sorry, but that’s not the same. Editorial boards and their editorials are the heart and soul of the newspaper. It’s that component that allow readers to know where the folks putting together the newspaper stand on the relevant issues of the day. Killing the editorial board relegated the Sun-Times to other faceless corporate affiliates who do not want to offend or challenge the readership, heaven forbid, with its vision and world outlook. Sad, another nail in the coffin of democracy.
John Labaj, Crystal Lake
A nudge to stay a loyal Sun-Times reader
I would like to thank Neil Steinberg for helping me continue my subscription to the Sun-Times. Shortly after receiving a letter notifying me of an increase in my seven-day subscription, the news came out about the buyouts of some of my favorite journos (Neil’s word, not mine).
I couldn’t help but wonder if I should continue my many years as a subscriber to the Sun-Times.
After the fine column written by Neil last week, praising all the great people I have enjoyed over the years, I just couldn’t cancel; so I’ll be checking my doorstep every morning to get the latest news from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Bob Meder, Romeoville
Getting rid of the country’s most dangerous men
Yes, by all means deport those who terrorize our country: by randomly kidnapping legal residents and making them disappear, by tearing down all our institutions, by disobeying court orders, ignoring the rule of law, by trying to steal all our savings (Social Security), by allowing Russian hackers to gain access to our country’s military secrets, by withholding food and medical care causing people to die of starvation, by destroying the constitutional right that all men are created equal, by spreading hate so that man turns against man “till man is no more.”
And last but not least, by making the United States weaker than ever thought possible.
Yes, I say deport President Elon Musk and his sidekick, Donald Trump, to a prison in El Salvador. Make them disappear. I’ll pay for their plane tickets — one way of course.
Jackie Tinker, Des Plaines