ForImmediateRelease
May23,2017
MimiCorcoran,President&CEO,NationalCenterforLearningDisabilities:
PresidentTrump’sFY2018EducationBudgetaMissedOpportunity
TheNationalCenterforLearningDisabilitiesisdeeplytroubledbyPresidentTrump’sbudget
proposal.ThePresident’splancutsbillionsfromfederaleducationfundingandhealthcare
services,thwartinginnovationandeliminatinglongstandinginitiativesthatstudents,families
andeducatorsrelyon.
Byeliminatingfundingforkeyprogramsincludedinthebi-partisanEveryStudentSucceedsAct
(ESSA)–suchasthoseaimedatensuringeducatorsarepreparedtomeettheneedsofstudents
andprovidingsafeandsupportivelearningenvironmentsthroughaccesstoprofessionalslike
guidancecounselorsandwell-roundededucationprograms–theTrumpAdministrationhas
missedacriticalopportunitytofostersuccessforournation’s50millionpublicschoolstudents,
includingthe1in5withlearningandattentionissues.
Furthermore,thebudgetproposalprovidesnoadditionalinvestmentintheIndividualswith
DisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA),whichprotectstherightsofmorethan6millionstudentswith
disabilitiesandhasbeenunderfundedfordecades.Andits$800billiondecreaseforMedicaid
willfurthererodetheresourcesschoolshavetoprovidenecessaryservicestostudents-those
withandwithoutdisabilities.
Putsimply,thePresident’sbudgetdismissestheneedsofpublicschoolstudents,parents,and
educatorsbyinvestinginunproven,controversialprograms–likeprivateschoolvoucher
schemes–thatoftenstripchildrenwithdisabilitiesfromtheirIDEArightsandresultinhidden
coststotheirfamilies.Thesemisguidedattemptsataddressingournation’seducationsystem
shouldbereplacedwithacommitmentfromthePresidenttoinvestinprogramsthatimprove
publicschools,includinghelpingteachersunderstandtheearlysignsofandinterventionsfor
the1in5studentswithlearningandattentionissues;supportingaccesstorigorous,
personalizedlearningopportunitiesforallstudents;andincreasingopportunitiesthatsupport
thewholechild–suchastheavailabilityofguidancecounselors,before-andafter-school
enrichmentprograms,andartsandscienceeducation.
NCLDwillurgeCongresstorejectthisharmfulplanandcallsonEducationSecretaryDeVosto
useherupcomingtestimonyonMay24thtoexplainhowthesecutswillhelpournation’s
schoolsandchildrengrow,thriveandsucceed.
32 Laight Street, 2nd Floor ● New York, NY 10013-2152 ● Tel: (212) 545-7510 ● Fax: (212) 545-9665
www.NCLD.org
NCLDstandsreadytoworkwithleadersinCongresstopassathoughtfulbudgetthat
incentivizesinnovation,supportsstudentsandteachers,andwillhelpourschoolsaddressthe
diverseneedsanddemandsof21stcenturyclassrooms.
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ThemissionoftheNationalCenterforLearningDisabilitiesistoimprovethelivesofthe1in5
childrenandadultsnationwidewithlearningandattentionissues—byempoweringparentsand
youngadults,transformingschoolsandadvocatingforequalrightsandopportunities.We’re
workingtocreateasocietyinwhicheveryindividualpossessestheacademic,socialand
emotionalskillsneededtosucceedinschool,atworkandinlife.Formoreinformation,visit
ncld.org.
32 Laight Street, 2nd Floor ● New York, NY 10013-2152 ● Tel: (212) 545-7510 ● Fax: (212) 545-9665
www.NCLD.org