Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and What Comes Next
______________________________________
Taking a Moment to Step Back
As we close out 2025, federal education policy is not defined by a single headline or decision, but by the accumulation of disruption, adjustment, and uncertainty over the course of the year. We’ve moved through a prolonged government shutdown, repeated reliance on short-term funding extensions, staffing uncertainty inside federal agencies, emerging structural shifts in how programs are administered, and an FY 2026 budget proposal that signals meaningful changes in federal investment.
At the same time, core programs have continued to operate. Funds have continued to flow. Statutory obligations remain in place.
That tension — continuity layered over instability — is what has made this moment feel both exhausting and difficult to interpret. This update is intended to step back from the noise and offer a clear, nonpartisan picture of where we’ve been, where we are right now, and what to watch as we move into early 2026, with particular attention to TED’s priorities around educator preparation, research, and IDEA implementation.
Where We’ve Been: A Year of Compressed Timelines
Over the past year, federal education policy has been shaped less by sweeping legislative change and more by compressed timelines and operational disruption.
Congress has relied heavily on continuing resolutions rather than full appropriations, shortening planning horizons for agencies and grantees alike. Periods of shutdown and near-shutdown disrupted normal operations, slowed grant processing, and strained technical assistance and oversight capacity. At the same time, administrative reviews led to the pausing, restructuring, or re-competition of several grant programs, in some cases mid-cycle.
None of these mechanisms are new. What stands out this year is their frequency and overlap. Instead of isolated disruptions, institutions and providers have been operating in a near-constant state of contingency planning — making long-term decisions about staffing, partnerships, and services with fewer reliable signals from Washington.
Where We Are Now: The Continuing Resolution and a Temporary Hold
As of mid-December, the federal government is operating under a continuing resolution that extends funding through January 30, 2026. This CR does several important things at once:
• It keeps the government open and programs operating at roughly prior-year funding levels.
• It prohibits reductions in force and mass layoffs at federal agencies through January 30, effectively placing a temporary hold on additional workforce reductions.
• It defers final decisions about FY 2026 appropriations and agency capacity.
While agencies remain strained, the CR has prevented further staffing losses in the near term. As a result, many of the most significant operational impacts — particularly related to grant administration, monitoring, and technical assistance — have not yet fully materialized.
January 30 is therefore a key inflection point. If funding is extended again without similar protections, or if full-year appropriations move forward with reduced administrative resources, we are likely to see more visible effects on agency operations after that date.
For now, agencies are largely holding steady — managing backlogs, prioritizing core functions, and limiting forward commitments while awaiting clearer direction.
What This Looks Like on the Ground
Right now:
- Programs continue.
- Grants are being processed, often more slowly than usual.
- Technical assistance is available, but limited.
- Guidance and planning beyond the CR window remain constrained.
What has been delayed — not avoided — is the full impact of staffing reductions and administrative restructuring. This creates a period of relative calm that should not be mistaken for resolution.
For educator preparation programs, research institutions, and special education systems, this means operating in a holding pattern — continuing the work, while preparing for potential shifts once the CR expires.
Interagency Agreements: Structural Changes Taking Shape
One of the more consequential developments this year has been the Department of Education’s use of interagency agreements to shift certain administrative functions to partner agencies.
• Statutory authority remains with the Department of Education.
• Day-to-day grant administration for select programs is transferred to agencies with aligned infrastructure and expertise.
• Implementation is gradual, with details still emerging.
These agreements represent a significant organizational change in how federal education programs are administered. While intended to improve efficiency, they also introduce new coordination demands and transition risks, particularly during periods of staffing and budget uncertainty.
Importantly for TED members, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within OSERS has not yet been moved under an interagency agreement. However, it is increasingly clear that discussions are underway about how IDEA-related administrative responsibilities may fit into broader interagency structures in the future.
OSEP continues to administer IDEA programs, oversee monitoring, and provide technical assistance. Any future changes would have meaningful implications for how IDEA discretionary and formula grants are managed and supported.
Leadership Signals and Stakeholder Engagement
Throughout this period, the Secretary of Education has held ongoing stakeholder meetings with advocates, practitioners, and institutional leaders. In these engagements, she has been consistent in emphasizing:
• A personal and professional commitment to students with disabilities
• A focus on ensuring that services reach children as efficiently and effectively as possible
• A belief that administrative coordination and restructuring, if implemented carefully, can strengthen service delivery
These statements matter. They reflect a clear articulation of intent around IDEA and services for students with disabilities.
At the same time, intent alone is not enough. Translating commitment into outcomes depends on implementation capacity, continuity of expertise, clarity of roles, and timing — all of which are shaped by staffing levels, funding decisions, and interagency coordination.
The FY 2026 Budget: Signals Worth Paying Attention To
Layered onto this operational environment is the FY 2026 budget proposal, which includes significant reductions in discretionary funding for the Department of Education and proposes structural changes across several long-standing programs.
Of particular relevance to TED’s priorities:
• Proposed eliminations or reductions in educator preparation and professional development programs
• Reductions to IDEA personnel preparation and technical assistance
• A substantial cut to the Institute of Education Sciences, affecting research and data infrastructure
• Continued pressure on college access and completion programs
While proposals do not determine final outcomes, they signal how future debates about federal investment may be framed, especially when combined with administrative restructuring and constrained capacity.
Looking Ahead: Why January 30 Matters
As we move into early 2026, several factors converge around the January 30 expiration of the CR:
• Whether Congress extends funding again, and under what conditions
• Whether protections against layoffs are continued
• How agencies implement staffing and administrative decisions once constraints lift
• Whether interagency agreements expand further, including into IDEA-related functions
If workforce reductions proceed after January 30, we are likely to see more pronounced impacts on:
• Grant timelines and competitions
• Monitoring and compliance activities
• Technical assistance availability
• Agency responsiveness to states and institutions
In other words, the most visible effects of this year’s instability may emerge after the CR window closes, rather than during it.
Why Engagement Still Matters
This year has reinforced a fundamental truth: education policy outcomes are shaped as much by capacity, timing, and implementation as by statutory language or funding levels.
For TED and its members, continued engagement matters because it keeps educator preparation, research, and IDEA implementation visible during periods of transition — and because it brings real-world context into decisions that are often made under compressed timelines.
A Note of Gratitude — and Why This Work Matters
Before closing, I want to pause and acknowledge something important.
This year required patience, persistence, and a willingness to stay engaged even when the process felt uncertain and the system felt unstable. And yet, because of TED and its members, this work has mattered in very real ways.
Your engagement helped elevate the consequences of proposed grant eliminations and frozen funds. You provided evidence, context, and clarity about what those decisions would mean for children with disabilities, their families, and the educators who serve them. That advocacy made a difference. It shaped conversations. It slowed harmful decisions. In some cases, it helped preserve programs and funding that support students and educators every day.
That does not happen without a community willing to show up — thoughtfully, consistently, and professionally.
On a personal note, I want to say how grateful I am for TED and its members. I could not do this work without you. The credibility you bring, the depth of expertise you share, and the trust you place in this engagement are what make effective advocacy possible. Your willingness to respond quickly, share data, tell honest stories, and stay at the table — even when the path forward is unclear — is what allows us to move beyond reaction and toward impact.
This year reaffirmed something I believe deeply: progress in education does not come from a single moment or decision. It comes from sustained, informed engagement by people who care about kids, families, and educators.
As we move into 2026, there is still uncertainty ahead. But there is also a strong foundation. Because of TED and its members, we are not starting from scratch — we are building on work that has already made a difference.
Thank you for your leadership, your persistence, and your partnership.
Wishing you and yours a holiday season full of joy.
With deep appreciation and gratitude,
Kait
@brennan_kait
See you next year!
