🚨 Time to Step Up: Call to Support Full Funding of IDEA.

On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed IDEA 1975 into law. Before IDEA 1975 took effect, only 20% of children with disabilities were in the public school system. Most of the others were either institutionalized or kept at home in a custodial care situation—parents taking care of them but not receiving an education.

Since we are approaching the 50th anniversary of this monumental legislation, I thought it was a good time to reflect on where we’ve come and yet, how far we have to go. And, let’s tell our legislators how we feel. It’s also a great opportunity to call and email our legislators and ask them to take action.

History of IDEA

I’ve done two previous posts on the history of IDEA 1975 and how we got there. I am a history nerd, so I love reading and talking about it, but I also think it is important for parents to understand how we got here.

• How Geraldo Rivera affected your IEP~Understanding the History of IDEA 1975
• PARC, Pennhurst and the most underutilized Disabilities Resource in Pennsylvania

IDEA: Decades of Terrible Outcomes

But, since we are at the anniversary, we should not only reflect on how far we have come but what work needs to be done. Because there is still much work to be done. For example:

• People with disabilities continue to have a very high rate of unemployment, sometimes higher than 75%.
• People with intellectual disabilities, while they only make up about 2% of the general population, can be up to 10% of the prison population.
• Depending on what study you read, our prison population is 55%–75% functionally illiterate, and a shocking 85% of juveniles who come into the Juvenile Justice System are functionally illiterate.

That’s not progress. We are failing our kids, and we are failing society. Despite being a law for 50 years, we have not changed outcomes. And it’s time to remind our legislators of that. So, it’s time for us to get to work as parents and teachers. We MUST speak up about this; we cannot let it continue. Yeah, our kids are in the public school system, but if we are not improving outcomes, what’s the point? Unless we demand change, it won’t change—it hasn’t changed in decades!

Full Funding of IDEA Bill

So, here’s the scoop on the IDEA Full Funding Act that was reintroduced last week. This bill aims to finally fulfill the federal government’s promise to fund 40% of the additional costs associated with educating students with disabilities—a commitment made back in 1975 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first passed. Currently, the federal contribution is less than 13%, leaving states and local school districts to cover the rest, which often strains resources and impacts the quality of services provided to students. ​

The proposed legislation, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA), seeks to incrementally increase federal funding to meet the 40% target over the next decade. This would provide much-needed support to schools, educators, and families, ensuring that students with disabilities receive the services and support they need to succeed. ​For the record, Senator Van Hollen has done this multiple times–so even if he’s not your Senator, you may want to email him and thank him for trying.

The bill has garnered bipartisan support, with co-sponsors from both parties, including Representatives Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Angie Craig (D-MN). It’s also backed by over 50 national organizations, such as the National Education Association and the Autism Society of America, highlighting the widespread recognition of the need for adequate funding in special education.

The IDEA Full Funding Act, reintroduced last week, has garnered significant bipartisan support. In the House, over 60 members have signed on as co-sponsors, including Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Don Bacon (R-NE), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Mike Bost (R-IL), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

In the Senate, more than 30 members are co-sponsoring the bill, such as Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Dick Durbin (D-IL). ​

This widespread support across both chambers and parties underscores the urgency and importance of fully funding special education to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

​These bills aim to fulfill the federal government’s commitment to fund 40% of the additional costs associated with educating students with disabilities, a promise made when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first enacted in 1975. Currently, the federal contribution is significantly lower, placing a financial burden on states and local school districts.

Advocating for Full Funding of IDEA

Step 1: This is a federal issue, so contact your federal legislators. That is two Senators and one person from the House of Representatives. Use this link to find them.

The IDEA Full Funding Act has been reintroduced in the 119th Congress with the following bill numbers:

• House of Representatives: H.R. 2598
• Senate: S. 2217​

Step 2: Plan a short email; most have a “Contact Us” form on their websites. You’ll want to reference the bill numbers for your Senators and the HR number to your House Rep.

Dear XXXXXX,

I am a constituent who lives in {city, state} and am represented by you in Congress/Senate. I am an active advocate for disabled children, and wanted to introduce myself.

As you are probably aware, we are approaching the 50th anniversary of IDEA 1975–the monumental legislation that guaranteed children with disabilities a free and appropriate education.

But, are you aware that despite being law for 50 years, we have done very little to change outcomes for these kids? People with disabilities still have astronomically high unemployment rates and make up a disproportionate part of prison populations. That has to change.

It’s time to fully fund IDEA 1975 at the 40% federal rate. Our schools are not given the resources to succeed with our kids. We need more incentives for America’s businesses to hire people with disabilities. We need our state and community police departments to be better trained in identifying invisible disabilities like autism.

As a parent of a child who needs special education, this is a very important issue for me. In the past, (now retired) Senator Harkin and others have introduced legislation to fully fund IDEA but it never passed.

There is a group currently proposing full funding of IDEA, and I would like you to support or co-sponsor this legislation. It is (give the bill’s number).

Giving disabled children the resources they need to learn should not be a partisan issue. I would like to hear back from you if you find you cannot co-sponsor or support this legislation, and explain why.

50 years have passed since President Ford signed IDEA into law. But, now it’s time for us to improve outcomes for kids with disabilities, which we have not done so far. I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Have a great day,

{name}

Step 3: Call them. Use the link above to find their office phone numbers. Call either your closest regional office (or stop in, if that is feasible) or the DC office and tell them the same message above.

Thanks for your participation!