The Department of Education announced four interagency agreements today to improve coordination with other federal agencies. The moves are part of efforts to reduce bureaucracy while maintaining existing protections for students.
The first agreement partners the Department of Education with the Department of Health and Human Services to support the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Officials said the partnership aims to improve service coordination for individuals with disabilities without changing rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated that the partnership will align federal services to strengthen academic outcomes and support greater independence for individuals with disabilities. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added that the agencies will work together to improve education and employment outcomes.
A second agreement increases collaboration between the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Justice on discrimination enforcement. The third focuses on student privacy and parental rights, while the fourth assigns training responsibilities for school desegregation efforts to the Department of Justice.
The Department of Education said the agreements keep federal protections in place while giving states and localities more flexibility.
